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الانقراض: چينات سيئة أم حظ سيئ
حدث فى السنين الأخيره تقدم كبير فى أبحاث الجيولوجيا وفروعها، مثل علم الباليونتولوجيا الذى يبحث أشكال الحياه فى العصور الجيولوجيه السابقه كما تمثلها الحفريات الحيوانيه والنباتيه. والموضوع الذى يؤكده المؤلف هو الانقراض، والسؤال الرئيسى الذى يبحثه الكتاب هو عمَّا إذا كانت بلايين الأنواع التى ماتت فى الماضى الجيولوجى قد ماتت؛ لأنها الأقل صلاحيه، أو ماتت لمجرد أنها وجدت فى المكان الخطأ، وفى الزمن الخطأ؟ وهل الأنواع تدخل فى نضال للبقاء أم فى مغامره للبقاء؟
273 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
April 11, 2023
An enjoyable overview of the new science of "extinction"
Non-fiction titles generally lend themselves to summaries a little bit more easily than non-fiction and I'd be hard pressed to beat the information the publishers have provided on the back cover. In EXTINCTION: BAD LUCK OR BAD GENES, David M Raup has provided a layman's overview and discussion of the theories, assumptions and difficulties associated with the new, emerging science of the study of species extinction. A relatively lightweight, easy-going read (as science titles go), Raup has ended with the easily anticipated bet-hedging conclusion that extinction is generally a combination of bad luck and bad genes. But he did go so far as to lean strongly in the direction of bad luck, suggesting that most species "die because they are subjected to biological or physical stress not anticipated in their prior evolution and because time is not available for Darwinian natural selection to help them adapt." He summarized his thoughts by providing six generalities that, while sounding simple on their face, are still founded in considerable research and careful thought:
1. Species are temporary
2. Species with very small populations are easy to kill
3. Widespread species are hard to kill
4. The extinction of widespread species is favored by a first strike
5. The extinction of widespread species is favored by stresses not normally experienced by the species
6. The simultaneous extinction of many species requires stresses that cut across ecological lines
He also concluded that "wanton extinction" - selective extinction where some kinds of organisms survive preferentially but NOT because they are better adapted to their normal environment - was the primary ingredient in producing the kinds of results we see in the fossil record. For my money, this was the most interesting statement in the entire book because it seemed so fundamentally counter-intuitive!
All very interesting stuff indeed for those of us that enjoy paleontology and the topic of dinosaurs, in particular. But sadly, Raup's popular science writing suffers by comparison to the likes of Simon Winchester, Jay Ingram or Simon Singh who seem blessed with the ability to write about esoteric scientific topics positively lifting them off the page and compelling the reader to turn pages ever more quickly. That said, I'm happy to recommend it as a good read for those that enjoy their science-based non-fiction.
Paul Weiss
Non-fiction titles generally lend themselves to summaries a little bit more easily than non-fiction and I'd be hard pressed to beat the information the publishers have provided on the back cover. In EXTINCTION: BAD LUCK OR BAD GENES, David M Raup has provided a layman's overview and discussion of the theories, assumptions and difficulties associated with the new, emerging science of the study of species extinction. A relatively lightweight, easy-going read (as science titles go), Raup has ended with the easily anticipated bet-hedging conclusion that extinction is generally a combination of bad luck and bad genes. But he did go so far as to lean strongly in the direction of bad luck, suggesting that most species "die because they are subjected to biological or physical stress not anticipated in their prior evolution and because time is not available for Darwinian natural selection to help them adapt." He summarized his thoughts by providing six generalities that, while sounding simple on their face, are still founded in considerable research and careful thought:
1. Species are temporary
2. Species with very small populations are easy to kill
3. Widespread species are hard to kill
4. The extinction of widespread species is favored by a first strike
5. The extinction of widespread species is favored by stresses not normally experienced by the species
6. The simultaneous extinction of many species requires stresses that cut across ecological lines
He also concluded that "wanton extinction" - selective extinction where some kinds of organisms survive preferentially but NOT because they are better adapted to their normal environment - was the primary ingredient in producing the kinds of results we see in the fossil record. For my money, this was the most interesting statement in the entire book because it seemed so fundamentally counter-intuitive!
All very interesting stuff indeed for those of us that enjoy paleontology and the topic of dinosaurs, in particular. But sadly, Raup's popular science writing suffers by comparison to the likes of Simon Winchester, Jay Ingram or Simon Singh who seem blessed with the ability to write about esoteric scientific topics positively lifting them off the page and compelling the reader to turn pages ever more quickly. That said, I'm happy to recommend it as a good read for those that enjoy their science-based non-fiction.
Paul Weiss
June 7, 2022
David M. Raup does an extraordinary job in this fine work on the mysteries of extinction. Addressing not only the infamous K-T extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs, pterosaurs, prehistoric marine reptiles, ammonites, and many less well-known organisms of the Mesozoic, he addresses other significant extinction events in earth's history, ranging from the Cambrian period all the way up to extinctions in recent centuries, such as the heath hen in the eastern United States.
Raup is able to draw many interesting theories and conclusions by analyzing extinction as an event and process separate from and beyond the details of the individual organisms. Too many works, at least popular works, dwell overmuch on the extinction of the dinosaurs and related archosaur fauna (and to a lesser extent the mammalian and avian megafauna at the end of the Pleistocene) and fail to draw overall conclusions about what extinction is, how it comes about, and what roles it plays in the history of life on earth. Though the details of particular organisms that become extinct are important, Raup seeks to draw broader and more widely applicable conclusions, and in this he succeeds brilliantly.
Raup analyzes and addresses a variety of potential causes of extinction from biological (such as predation, epidemic disease, etc.) to physical (sea level rises and falls, volcanism, etc.) to fairly exotic (cosmic radiation, asteroid impact, etc.), as well of course interactions between various causes. He also discusses the importance of small population sizes playing a role in and of themselves in a species extinction, how small populations (using the heath hen as an example) are uniquely vulnerable to such factors as demographic stochasticity, extrinsic forces, social dysfunction, and so forth, all described in informative but very readable format. The debate over the role of small population size is particularly interesting in discussions of potential modern-day extinctions, a problem faced by modern day conservationists and environmentalists.
Weaving in discussions of probability, statistics, geology, astronomy, climate, and the overall history of life on earth, Raup does an excellent job on the subject of extinction. Any amateur paleontologist or indeed biologist, as well as those involved in conservation efforts, would be well served by this book.
Raup is able to draw many interesting theories and conclusions by analyzing extinction as an event and process separate from and beyond the details of the individual organisms. Too many works, at least popular works, dwell overmuch on the extinction of the dinosaurs and related archosaur fauna (and to a lesser extent the mammalian and avian megafauna at the end of the Pleistocene) and fail to draw overall conclusions about what extinction is, how it comes about, and what roles it plays in the history of life on earth. Though the details of particular organisms that become extinct are important, Raup seeks to draw broader and more widely applicable conclusions, and in this he succeeds brilliantly.
Raup analyzes and addresses a variety of potential causes of extinction from biological (such as predation, epidemic disease, etc.) to physical (sea level rises and falls, volcanism, etc.) to fairly exotic (cosmic radiation, asteroid impact, etc.), as well of course interactions between various causes. He also discusses the importance of small population sizes playing a role in and of themselves in a species extinction, how small populations (using the heath hen as an example) are uniquely vulnerable to such factors as demographic stochasticity, extrinsic forces, social dysfunction, and so forth, all described in informative but very readable format. The debate over the role of small population size is particularly interesting in discussions of potential modern-day extinctions, a problem faced by modern day conservationists and environmentalists.
Weaving in discussions of probability, statistics, geology, astronomy, climate, and the overall history of life on earth, Raup does an excellent job on the subject of extinction. Any amateur paleontologist or indeed biologist, as well as those involved in conservation efforts, would be well served by this book.
September 1, 2010
A profound book. It provides perspective on the fleetingness of species and also offers food for thought about all kinds of extinctions. Well written, clearly presented,thought-provoking and concise. What more could you want in a popular science book?
August 7, 2023
Highly recommend that any student of paleontology read this book. It should be considered required reading material for paleo-oriented majors as it hits the high points of various topics that still plague or concern the subject to this day.
November 13, 2021
This is a keeper. Beyond the topic, it provides a great demonstration of the utility of healthy scepticism, questioning, and testing of models in the scientific process.
January 27, 2016
This was great. The book's over a quarter century old at this point, which is pretty old for a science text, but I feel like it's definitely still relevant (while I was reading it, I sat in on a college lecture on Mesozoic life, and the professor suggested this book to the class). This a book written at the beginning of extinction science by a guy who was on the front lines, and although some of the ideas are now known to be wrong, I suspect that most of what he's written will remain relevant because it's right.
It's a subtle and sophisticated look at extinction, but it's also very readable. Sure, there are some graphs, but they're very simple. The text is well-written and accessible, I think, to anyone interested in the subject, even if they don't have much science background.
It's a subtle and sophisticated look at extinction, but it's also very readable. Sure, there are some graphs, but they're very simple. The text is well-written and accessible, I think, to anyone interested in the subject, even if they don't have much science background.
January 12, 2019
According to Raup, some cases of Extinction are due to bad genes, but most are caused by bad luck.
Excellent overview of how extiction of species works and its role in evolution.
Read it in 1992 but still remember the Gambler's Ruin.
Last 10 pages are also an excellent summary of the contents.
Well done. If you like Stephen Jay Gould, you'll also like Raup.
Excellent overview of how extiction of species works and its role in evolution.
Read it in 1992 but still remember the Gambler's Ruin.
Last 10 pages are also an excellent summary of the contents.
Well done. If you like Stephen Jay Gould, you'll also like Raup.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2009
Raup is a brilliant thinker, and cogently brings the world of macroevolution to the lay reader. You will come away understanding far more about the history of life from these few hundred pages than you would reading anything else.
January 27, 2012
Slightly out of date, lots of focus on the causes of KT extinction. I liked the ambiguity expressed, however.
February 15, 2015
Good overview, not great if you needed any questions answered about extinctions.
August 28, 2015
This book, written in 1991, is brilliantly prescient in many ways. Stephen Jay Gould wrote the introduction, and was an admiring colleague.
January 4, 2016
A very compelling read
August 22, 2020
Good analysis of how extinctions work.
October 11, 2020
بداية ممتازة لدخول في علم الانقراض
July 3, 2022
Raup did an excellent job simplifying the science of extinction to make the subject accessible to a broad audience without over simplifying the content. His style of writing was also interesting and easy to follow, sprinkling in funny little quips and his own opinion at times. The figures included were easy to understand and further made the material easier to understand. I wonder how his conclusions would compare to modern studies in this field.
September 2, 2023
Good to read about other views. I don't agree with all of the views here, but I respect his thoughts.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews