Evolution by Association: A History of Symbiosis

by Jan Sapp

In this comprehensive history of symbiosis theory--the first to be written--Jan Sapp masterfully traces its development from modest beginnings in the late nineteenth century to its current status as one of the key conceptual frameworks for the life sciences. The symbiotic perspective on evolution, which argues that "higher species" have evolved from a merger of two or more different kinds of organisms living together, is now clearly established with definitive molecular evidence demonstrating that mitochondria and chloroplasts have evolved from symbiotic bacteria. In telling the exciting story of an evolutionary biology tradition that has effectively challenged many key tenets of classical neo-Darwinism, Sapp sheds light on the phenomena, movements, doctrines, and controversies that have shaped attitudes about the scope and significance of symbiosis. Engaging and insightful, Evolution by Association will be avidly read by students and researchers across the life sciences.

Genres: Science, History, Biology

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

Reviews

[Benjamin Felser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive history of the hurdles the ecology and evolutionary biology of symbiosis has had in the western scientific world since the 19th century (and a bit before then.) Since science began and was super powered with Darwin’s theory of evolution, the scientific masses have refused biological intimacy as a key force in evolution. All relationships are competitive. All beings can be separated and analyzed. Mutually beneficial relationships or mutualism challenge that idea, and this book covers how fundamental mutualistic relationships (like, idk the origin of multicellular life… or all wood-eating insects, or 90% of trees, or everything else) indicate that this mutualism is more a rule than an exception. But western science is dogmatic and in no way immune to social forces of the times. Jan Sapp goes through it all. Even if it dense af.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just an absolute master course in science communication. He takes a complex subject and, without simplifying, guides us through the history and science of symbiosis. An expensive book (that I read through a library loan) that would serve so well in the public domain and the open source wells.