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Evolution—The Extended Synthesis
Prominent evolutionary biologists and philosophers of science survey recent work that expands the core theoretical framework underlying the biological sciences.In the six decades since the publication of Julian Huxley's Evolution: The Modern Synthesis, the spectacular empirical advances in the biological sciences have been accompanied by equally significant developments within the core theoretical framework of the discipline. As a result, evolutionary theory today includes concepts and even entire new fields that were not part of the foundational structure of the Modern Synthesis. In this volume, sixteen leading evolutionary biologists and philosophers of science survey the conceptual changes that have emerged since Huxley's landmark publication, not only in such traditional domains of evolutionary biology as quantitative genetics and paleontology but also in such new fields of research as genomics and EvoDevo.
Most of the contributors to Evolution, the Extended Synthesis accept many of the tenets of the classical framework but want to relax some of its assumptions and introduce significant conceptual augmentations of the basic Modern Synthesis structure--just as the architects of the Modern Synthesis themselves expanded and modulated previous versions of Darwinism. This continuing revision of a theoretical edifice the foundations of which were laid in the middle of the nineteenth century--the reexamination of old ideas, proposals of new ones, and the synthesis of the most suitable--shows us how science works, and how scientists have painstakingly built a solid set of explanations for what Darwin called the "grandeur" of life.
Contributors
John Beatty, Werner Callebaut, Jeremy Draghi, Chrisantha Fernando, Sergey Gavrilets, John C. Gerhart, Eva Jablonka, David Jablonski, Marc W. Kirschner, Marion J. Lamb, Alan C. Love, Gerd B. M�ller, Stuart A. Newman, John Odling-Smee, Massimo Pigliucci, Michael Purugganan, E�rs Szathm�ry, G�nter P. Wagner, David Sloan Wilson, Gregory A. Wray
Most of the contributors to Evolution, the Extended Synthesis accept many of the tenets of the classical framework but want to relax some of its assumptions and introduce significant conceptual augmentations of the basic Modern Synthesis structure--just as the architects of the Modern Synthesis themselves expanded and modulated previous versions of Darwinism. This continuing revision of a theoretical edifice the foundations of which were laid in the middle of the nineteenth century--the reexamination of old ideas, proposals of new ones, and the synthesis of the most suitable--shows us how science works, and how scientists have painstakingly built a solid set of explanations for what Darwin called the "grandeur" of life.
Contributors
John Beatty, Werner Callebaut, Jeremy Draghi, Chrisantha Fernando, Sergey Gavrilets, John C. Gerhart, Eva Jablonka, David Jablonski, Marc W. Kirschner, Marion J. Lamb, Alan C. Love, Gerd B. M�ller, Stuart A. Newman, John Odling-Smee, Massimo Pigliucci, Michael Purugganan, E�rs Szathm�ry, G�nter P. Wagner, David Sloan Wilson, Gregory A. Wray
504 pages, Paperback
First published March 26, 2010
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About the author
Massimo Pigliucci
88 books1,165 followersMassimo Pigliucci is an author, blogger, podcaster, as well as the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at the City College of New York.
His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. His books include How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books) and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press).
His new book is Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers (The Experiment).
His academic work is in evolutionary biology, philosophy of science, the nature of pseudoscience, and practical philosophy. His books include How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life (Basic Books) and Nonsense on Stilts: How to Tell Science from Bunk (University of Chicago Press).
His new book is Beyond Stoicism: A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers (The Experiment).
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 10, 2014
Oh, to have been a fly on the wall for the gathering that resulted in this volume!
It is the battle cry for modern evolutionary biologists who see phenotypes as the targets of selection and thus feel shut in by the reductionist, modern synthesis approach to evolution (read: population genetics). There's something here for everyone, and whether or not you agree that it's really necessary to call for an "extended synthesis," the contents of this book show that evolutionary biology is alive and well.
Perhaps the most influential book I've read about evolutionary theory since Developmental Plasticity & Evolution, I will without a doubt be returning to the wisdom in this volume over and over again.
It is the battle cry for modern evolutionary biologists who see phenotypes as the targets of selection and thus feel shut in by the reductionist, modern synthesis approach to evolution (read: population genetics). There's something here for everyone, and whether or not you agree that it's really necessary to call for an "extended synthesis," the contents of this book show that evolutionary biology is alive and well.
Perhaps the most influential book I've read about evolutionary theory since Developmental Plasticity & Evolution, I will without a doubt be returning to the wisdom in this volume over and over again.
December 31, 2024
Ninety percent completely over my head, but the ten percent I did understand was like scales falling from my eyes.
November 2, 2020
Outstanding collection of essays on recent developments in evolutionary theory
July 17, 2020
A little light reading on the subjects- a good introduction for advanced undergraduates and graduate students.
June 23, 2013
Livro denso, com uma boa revisão sobre a síntese moderna e perspectivas sobre o que tem mudado e para onde estamos rumando. Ótimos capítulos, escritos por gente competente e com uma visão bem ampla.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews