What Evolution Is (Science Masters Series)

At once a spirited defense of Darwinian explanations of biology and an elegant primer on evolution for the general reader, What Evolution Is has several audiences in mind: those scientists and nonscientists who accept evolutionary thinking but do not know exactly how it works, and those who accept evolution but are not sure the Darwinian explanation is correct. With rare clarity, Mayr poses the questions at the heart of evolution - What is the evidence for evolution on earth? What is the origin and role of organic diversity? - and describes in refreshingly nontechnical language how the search for answers has over the years revealed solutions to the most challenging problems posed by evolutionary theory. In a provocative final section, Mayr considers how our improved understanding of evolution has affected the viewpoints and values of modern man. Foreword by Jared M. Diamond Preface Acknowledgments I. What Is Evolution? 1. In What Kind of a World Do We Live? 2. What Is the Evidence for Evolution on Earth? 3. The Rise of the Living World II. How Are Evolutionary Change and Adaptedness Explained? 4. How and Why Does Evolution Take Place? 5. Variational Evolution 6. Natural Selection 7. Adaptedness and Natural Selection: Anagenesis III Origin and Evolution of Diversity: Cladogenesis 8. The Units of Diversity: Species 9. Speciation 10. Macroevolution IV Human Evolution 11. How Did Mankind Evolve? 12. The Frontiers of Evolutionary BiologyAppendix A What Criticisms Have Been Made of Evolutionary Theory? Appendix B Short Answerts to Frequently Asked Questions About Evolution Glossary Bibliography Index. At once a spirited defense of Darwinian explanations of biology and an elegant primer on evolution for the general reader, What Evolution Is poses the questions at the heart of evolutionary theory and considers how our improved understanding of evolution has affected the viewpoints and values of modern man. Science Masters Series A pillar of evolutionary biology, Mayr (comparative zoology, Harvard U.) writes for three types of readers: anyone, biologist or not, who wants to know more about evolution; those who accept evolution but doubt the Darwinian explanation of it; and creationists who want to learn more about it even if only to challenge it better Mayr provides as convincing a testament to Darwin's genius as you are likely to find."--New York Times Book Review