Ornithology, evolution, and philosophy : the life and science of Ernst Mayr, 1904-2005

This Book Is The First Detailed Biography Of Ernst Mayr. He Was An 'architect' Of The Synthetic Theory Of Evolution, And The Greatest Evolutionary Biologist Since Charles Darwin, Influential Historian And Philosopher Of Biology, Outstanding Taxonomist And Ornithologist, And Naturalist. He Is One Of The Most Widely Known Biologists Of The 20th Century. Mayr Used The Theories Of Natural Selection And Population Thinking As Theoretical Models Within The Framework Of Historical Biological Studies. He Suggested That Various Competing Paradigms May Exist Side By Side And More Or Less Pronounced 'revolutions' May Occur In Different Fields From Time To Time. Changes Of Concepts Have A Much Stronger Effect On The Development Of Biological Sciences Than The Discovery Of New Facts. Mayr Was The First To Emphasize The Role Of Biopopulations, Thereby Pointing Out The Basic Difference Between 'population Thinking' And Typological Essentialism. Population Thinking Takes Into Consideration The Uniqueness Of Each Individual And Unlimited Variation Of Populations Which May Lead To The Development Of New Species. On The Other Hand, Typologists Assume That The Unchanging Essence Of Each Species Determines Variation And Fixed Limits Of Variation Preclude Speciation From Occurring Except Through Saltation.--jacket. Jürgen Haffer. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [406]-455) And Index. Preface 5 Contents 7 Introduction 10 Part I: The Young Naturalist in Germany 14 1. Childhood and Youth 16 The Family 16 Birdwatching 23 The Duck with a Red Bill 30 University Student in Greifswald and Berlin 31 Friendships at School and University 41 2. The Budding Scientist 43 PhD Thesis and Examination 43 The Influence of Teachers 45 Erwin Stresemann—Teacher and Friend 47 Assistant Curator at theMuseum of Natural History in Berlin 50 Expeditions to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands (1928–1930) 56 Papua Province, Indonesia (Irian Jaya, Former Dutch New Guinea) 61 (1) Departure from Germany and Voyage from Genoa to New Guinea 61 (2) Arfak Mountains (Vogelkop) 63 (3) Wondiwoi Mountains, Wandammen Peninsula 70 (4) Cyclops Mountains 71 Papua New Guinea, Former Mandated Territory 74 (1) Canoe Trip along the North Coast 74 (2) From Aitape to Finschhafen 76 (3) Saruwaget Mountains 77 (4) Herzog Mountains 82 (5) From Salamaua to Samarai 83 Solomon Islands 83 (1) Southern Bougainville Island 89 (2) Nissan Island 89 (3) Northern Bougainville 90 (4) Shortland Island 90 (5) Choiseul Island 90 (6) San Cristobal (Makira) Island 92 (7) Santa Ana Island 94 (8) Malaita Island 95 Expedition Results 95 Future Plans 98 Part II: Ornithologist and Evolutionist in New York 100 3. The New York Years (1931–1953) 101 Emigration to the United States and Life in New York City 101 Employment in New York 102 A Manager of Large-scale Ornithological Projects—Dr. L. C. Sanford 104 Life in New York City 108 Birding around New York City 112 Seeing America 117 Curator of Ornithology at the AmericanMuseumof Natural History 119 Museum Tasks 122 Colleagues at the American Museum 124 AOU Politics 128 Ecology and Behavior of Birds 132 Conservation Biology 136 Contact with Geneticists 138 Contacts with German Ornithologists 142 International Ornithological Congresses 144 4. Ornithologist and Zoogeographer 146 Birds of Oceania 146 Pacific Islands 150 The Whitney South Sea Expedition 150 Significance of the Whitney South Sea Expedition 153 Studies of the Whitney Collections 154 New Guinea 158 Birds of Australia, the Malay Archipelagoand Southeastern Asia 163 Australia 163 Malay Archipelago 164 Southeastern Asia 165 Descriptions of New Species and Subspecies of Birds 167 Zoogeography 169 Basic Concepts 169 First Steps 171 Dynamic Faunal Approach 172 North and South America 174 Polynesia 176 Northern Melanesia 178 New Guinea 181 Australia 183 Malay Archipelago 185 5. Biological Species and Speciation—Mayr’s First Synthesis 189 A Modern Unified Theory of Evolution 189 Collaboration with Th. Dobzhansky 191 The Jesup Lectures on Evolution 196 Systematics and the Origin of Species—Evolutionary Biology 200 The New Systematics 205 The Biological Species Concept and Species Taxa 209 Allopatric Speciation 222 Sympatric Speciation 229 The Species Problem in Mayr’s Empirical Research 230 The Nature of Species in Bisexual Animals 232 Natural and Sexual Selection 232 Ecological Factors 233 Isolating Mechanisms in Drosophila 234 Brief History of the Biological Species Concept 236 Community Architect 238 The Society for the Study of Speciation, 1939–1941 239 The “Committee on Common Problems of Genetics, Paleontology, and Systematics,” 1942–1949 239 Founding Editor of the Journal Evolution 244 6. Life in North America during World War II 248 New York and Tenafly, New Jersey 248 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (1943–1952) 249 Citizenship 256 Part III: Professor of Zoology at Harvard University 259 7. The Harvard Years (1953–2005) 260 Teaching and PhD Students 264 Director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (1961–1970) 268 8. Evolutionary Biology—Mayr’s Second Synthesis 271 Overviews of Evolutionary Biology 271 Integrated Gene Complexes versus “Beanbag Genetics” 278 Animal Species and Evolution (1963b) 280 Behavior and Evolution 282 Particular Topics of Evolutionary Biology 283 9. Ernst Mayr—the Man 288 Personality and General Views 288 Health 306 The Farm near Wilton, New Hampshire 311 Residence in Cambridge, Massachusetts 315 Adviser to the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation 316 National and International Recognition 318 10. Systematics and Classification 325 Diversity 325 Classification 326 Birds 331 Fossil Hominids 335 Snails 336 Two Empires of Organisms or Three? 337 Zoological Nomenclature 337 11. History and Philosophy of Biology—Mayr’s Third Synthesis 343 History of Biology 345 From the Greeks to Darwin 351 Darwin and Darwinism 352 Biographical studies 363 Philosophy of Biology 365 Population Thinking 366 “The New versus the Classical in Biology” 368 Autonomy of Biology 369 Teleology 371 Reductionism and Emergence 372 The Roots of Dialectical Materialism 373 Natural Selection 374 The Ontological Status of Species 375 Evolution and Ethics 376 The Biological Future of Mankind 377 Realism and Liberal Education 377 The Advance of Science and Scientific Revolutions 378 Extraterrestrial Intelligence? 379 12. Summary: Appreciation of Ernst Mayr’s Science 380 Acknowledgments 387 List of Abbreviations 389 References 390 Part IV: Appendices 404 Appendix 1. Curriculum Vitae 405 Education 405 Expeditions 405 Positions 405 Honorary Degrees 405 Lectureships and Visiting Professorships 406 Awards and Recognitions (35) 406 Honorary Society Memberships (52) 407 Society Offices 409 Appendix 2. Bibliography of Ernst Mayr 410 By Year 410 1923 410 1924 410 1925 410 1926 410 1927 411 1928 411 1929 412 1930 412 1931 412 1932 413 1933 413 1934 414 1935 414 1936 414 1937 415 1938 415 1939 416 1940 416 1941 416 1942 417 1943 418 1944 418 1945 419 1946 420 1947 420 1948 421 1949 421 1950 422 1951 422 1952 422 1953 423 1954 424 1955 425 1956 425 1957 426 1958 426 1959 427 1960 428 1961 428 1962 428 1963 429 1964 430 1965 431 1966 432 1967 432 1968 433 1969 434 1970 434 1971 435 1972 435 1973 436 1974 436 1975 437 1976 438 1977 439 1978 439 1979 440 1980 440 1981 441 1982 442 1983 444 1984 444 1985 445 1986 446 1987 446 1988 447 1989 448 1990 449 1991 450 1992 450 1993 451 1994 451 1995 452 1996 453 1997 453 1998 454 1999 455 2000 455 2001 455 2002 456 2003 457 2004 457 2005 457 List of Books by Ernst Mayr as Author, Co-author, or Editor 457 Coauthorship 459 Books 459 Major Papers 459 Appendix 3. Subject Analysis of Ernst Mayr’s Publications 460 (1) Ornithology 460 (2) Zoogeography 460 (3) Species Problem and Speciation 460 (4) Systematics 461 (5) Classification 461 (6) Zoological Nomenclature 461 (7) Evolutionary Biology 461 (8) Genetics and Drosophila Studies 461 (9) History of Biology 462 (10) Charles Darwin 462 (11) Philosophy of Biology 462 (12) Conservation Biology 462 (13) Biographies, Appreciations, Obituaries 462 (14) Autobiographical 462 (15) Reviews 462 (16) General Topics 462 Index 463 Preface......Page 5 Contents......Page 7 Introduction......Page 10 Part I: The Young Naturalist in Germany......Page 14 The Family......Page 16 Birdwatching......Page 23 The Duck with a Red Bill......Page 30 University Student in Greifswald and Berlin......Page 31 Friendships at School and University......Page 41 PhD Thesis and Examination......Page 43 The Influence of Teachers......Page 45 Erwin Stresemann—Teacher and Friend......Page 47 Assistant Curator at theMuseum of Natural History in Berlin......Page 50 Expeditions to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands (1928–1930)......Page 56 (1) Departure from Germany and Voyage from Genoa to New Guinea......Page 61 (2) Arfak Mountains (Vogelkop)......Page 63 (3) Wondiwoi Mountains, Wandammen Peninsula......Page 70 (4) Cyclops Mountains......Page 71 (1) Canoe Trip along the North Coast......Page 74 (2) From Aitape to Finschhafen......Page 76 (3) Saruwaget Mountains......Page 77 (4) Herzog Mountains......Page 82 Solomon Islands......Page 83 (2) Nissan Island......Page 89 (5) Choiseul Island......Page 90 (6) San Cristobal (Makira) Island......Page 92 (7) Santa Ana Island......Page 94 Expedition Results......Page 95 Future Plans......Page 98 Part II: Ornithologist and Evolutionist in New York......Page 100 Emigration to the United States and Life in New York City......Page 101 Employment in New York......Page 102 A Manager of Large-scale Ornithological Projects—Dr. L. C. Sanford......Page 104 Life in New York City......Page 108 Birding around New York City......Page 112 Seeing America......Page 117 Curator of Ornithology at the AmericanMuseumof Natural History......Page 119 Museum Tasks......Page 122 Colleagues at the American Museum......Page 124 AOU Politics......Page 128 Ecology and Behavior of Birds......Page 132 Conservation Biology......Page 136 Contact with Geneticists......Page 138 Contacts with German Ornithologists......Page 142 International Ornithological Congresses......Page 144 Birds of Oceania......Page 146 The Whitney South Sea Expedition......Page 150 Significance of the Whitney South Sea Expedition......Page 153 Studies of the Whitney Collections......Page 154 New Guinea......Page 158 Australia......Page 163 Malay Archipelago......Page 164 Southeastern Asia......Page 165 Descriptions of New Species and Subspecies of Birds......Page 167 Basic Concepts......Page 169 First Steps......Page 171 Dynamic Faunal Approach......Page 172 North and South America......Page 174 Polynesia......Page 176 Northern Melanesia......Page 178 New Guinea......Page 181 Australia......Page 183 Malay Archipelago......Page 185 A Modern Unified Theory of Evolution......Page 189 Collaboration with Th. Dobzhansky......Page 191 The Jesup Lectures on Evolution......Page 196 Systematics and the Origin of Species—Evolutionary Biology......Page 200 The New Systematics......Page 205 The Biological Species Concept and Species Taxa......Page 209 Allopatric Speciation......Page 222 Sympatric Speciation......Page 229 The Species Problem in Mayr’s Empirical Research......Page 230 Natural and Sexual Selection......Page 232 Ecological Factors......Page 233 Isolating Mechanisms in Drosophila......Page 234 Brief History of the Biological Species Concept......Page 236 Community Architect......Page 238 The “Committee on Common Problems of Genetics, Paleontology, and Systematics,” 1942–1949......Page 239 Founding Editor of the Journal Evolution......Page 244 New York and Tenafly, New Jersey......Page 248 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (1943–1952)......Page 249 Citizenship......Page 256 Part III: Professor of Zoology at Harvard University......Page 259 7. The Harvard Years (1953–2005)......Page 260 Teaching and PhD Students......Page 264 Director of the Museum of Comparative Zoology (1961–1970)......Page 268 Overviews of Evolutionary Biology......Page 271 Integrated Gene Complexes versus “Beanbag Genetics”......Page 278 Animal Species and Evolution (1963b)......Page 280 Behavior and Evolution......Page 282 Particular Topics of Evolutionary Biology......Page 283 Personality and General Views......Page 288 Health......Page 306 The Farm near Wilton, New Hampshire......Page 311 Residence in Cambridge, Massachusetts......Page 315 Adviser to the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation......Page 316 National and International Recognition......Page 318 Diversity......Page 325 Classification......Page 326 Birds......Page 331 Fossil Hominids......Page 335 Snails......Page 336 Zoological Nomenclature......Page 337 11. History and Philosophy of Biology—Mayr’s Third Synthesis......Page 343 History of Biology......Page 345 From the Greeks to Darwin......Page 351 Darwin and Darwinism......Page 352 Biographical studies......Page 363 Philosophy of Biology......Page 365 Population Thinking......Page 366 “The New versus the Classical in Biology”......Page 368 Autonomy of Biology......Page 369 Teleology......Page 371 Reductionism and Emergence......Page 372 The Roots of Dialectical Materialism......Page 373 Natural Selection......Page 374 The Ontological Status of Species......Page 375 Evolution and Ethics......Page 376 Realism and Liberal Education......Page 377 The Advance of Science and Scientific Revolutions......Page 378 Extraterrestrial Intelligence?......Page 379 12. Summary: Appreciation of Ernst Mayr’s Science......Page 380 Acknowledgments......Page 387 List of Abbreviations......Page 389 References......Page 390 Part IV: Appendices......Page 404 Honorary Degrees......Page 405 Awards and Recognitions (35)......Page 406 Honorary Society Memberships (52)......Page 407 Society Offices......Page 409 1926......Page 410 1928......Page 411 1931......Page 412 1933......Page 413 1936......Page 414 1938......Page 415 1941......Page 416 1942......Page 417 1944......Page 418 1945......Page 419 1947......Page 420 1949......Page 421 1952......Page 422 1953......Page 423 1954......Page 424 1956......Page 425 1958......Page 426 1959......Page 427 1962......Page 428 1963......Page 429 1964......Page 430 1965......Page 431 1967......Page 432 1968......Page 433 1970......Page 434 1972......Page 435 1974......Page 436 1975......Page 437 1976......Page 438 1978......Page 439 1980......Page 440 1981......Page 441 1982......Page 442 1984......Page 444 1985......Page 445 1987......Page 446 1988......Page 447 1989......Page 448 1990......Page 449 1992......Page 450 1994......Page 451 1995......Page 452 1997......Page 453 1998......Page 454 2001......Page 455 2002......Page 456 List of Books by Ernst Mayr as Author, Co-author, or Editor......Page 457 Major Papers......Page 459 (3) Species Problem and Speciation......Page 460 (8) Genetics and Drosophila Studies......Page 461 (16) General Topics......Page 462 Index......Page 463