Acquiring genomes : a theory of the origins of species

In this groundbreaking book, Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan present an answer to one of the enduring mysteries of evolution--the source of inherited variation that gives rise to new species. Random genetic mutation, long believed to be the main source of variation, is only a marginal factor. As the authors demonstrate in this book, the more important source of speciation, by far, is the acquisition of new genomes by symbiotic merger. The result of thirty years of delving into a vast, mostly arcane literature, this is the first book to go beyond--and reveal the severe limitations of--the "Modern Synthesis" that has dominated evolutionary biology for almost three generations. Lynn Margulis, whom E. O. Wilson called "one of the most successful synthetic thinkers in modern biology," and her co-author Dorion Sagan have written a comprehensive and scientifically supported presentation of a theory that directly challenges the assumptions we hold about the variety of the living world. "In this book, Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan present an answer to the one enduring mystery of evolution that Charles Darwin could never solve: the source of the inherited variation that gives rise to new species. The authors argue that random mutation, long believed (but never demonstrated) to be the main source of genetic variation, is of only marginal importance. Much more significant is the acquisition of new genomes by symbiotic merger.". "The result of thirty years of delving into a vast, mostly arcane literature, this is the first book to go beyond - and reveal the severe limitations of - the dogmatic thinking that has dominated evolutionary biology for almost three generations. Lynn Margulis, whom E. O. Wilson called "one of the most successful synthetic thinkers in modern biology," and her co-author Dorion Sagan have written a comprehensive and scientifically supported presentation of a theory that directly challenges the assumptions we hold about the diversity of the living world."--BOOK JACKET. In this groundbreaking book, Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan present an answer to one of the enduring mysteries of evolution -- the source of inherited variation that gives rise to new species. Random genetic mutation, long believed to be the main source of variation, is only a marginal factor. As the authors demonstrate in this book, the more important source of speciation, by far, is the acquisition of new genomes by symbiotic merger. The result of thirty years of delving into a vast, mostly arcane literature, this is the first book to go beyond -- and reveal the severe limitations of -- the'Modern Synthesis'that has dominated evolutionary biology for almost three generations. Lynn Margulis, whom E. O. Wilson called'one of the most successful synthetic thinkers in modern biology,'and her co-author Dorion Sagan have written a comprehensive and scientifically supported presentation of a theory that directly challenges the assumptions we hold about the variety of the living world. The Authors Argue That Symbiotic Merger Far More Than Random Mutation Is The Cause Of New Species. Pt. 1. The Evolutionary Imperative -- 1. Darwinism Not Neodarwinism -- 2. Darwin's Dilemma -- 3. Relative Individuality -- 4. The Natural Selector -- 5. Principles Of Evolutionary Novelty -- Pt. 2. The Microbe In Evolution -- 6. Species And Cells -- 7. History Of The Heritable -- Pt. 3. Planetary Legacy -- 8. Gaian Planet -- 9. Eukaryosis In An Anoxic World -- Pt. 4. Consortia -- 10. Seaworthy Alliances -- 11. Plant Proclivities -- 12. Chromosome Dance : The Fission Theory -- 13. Darwin Revisited : Species In The Evolutionary Dialogue. Lynn Margulis And Dorion Sagan. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 219-223) And Index. Charles Darwin's landmark book The Origin of Species, which presented to scientists and the lay public alike overwhelming evidence for the theory of natural selection, ironically never explains where new species come from. Presents an argument to refute conventional knowledge of the development and evolution of species, theorizing that organisms develop when existing species combine their genetic material.