Macroevolution : Pattern and Process

Stanley, Steven M.

ISBN 10: 080185735X / ISBN 13: 9780801857355

Edité par Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998

Used book that is in almost brand-new condition. N° de réf. du vendeur 15590877-6

Synopsis :

In this text, the author addresses, from a palaeobiologist's perspective, the question of whether punctuated equilibria - the view, popularized by Stephen Jay Gould among others, that species remain evolutionarily static for long periods of time, with substantial genetic changes and the development of new adaptive strategies occurring only during speciation, or gradualism - the view that large-scale changes result from continual and successive small-scale changes, offers the best account of the history of life. Coming down on the side of those who favour the model of punctuated equilibria, Stanley argues that only "quantum speciation" (rapid and radically divergent), can explain the story of life revealed in the fossil record; macroevolution, he contends, cannot be attributed to microevolutionary forces such as mutation, genetic drift and natural selection. Instead, he posits a series of processes, including species selection, phyletic drift and directed speciation, to accounnt for large-scale patterns.

À propos de l?auteur: Steven M. Stanley is professor of paleobiology at the Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of numerous books, including 'Extinction' and 'Children of the Ice Age: How a Global Catastrophe Allowed Humans to Evolve'.

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : Macroevolution : Pattern and Process
Éditeur : Johns Hopkins University Press
Date d'édition : 1998
Reliure : Couverture souple
Etat : As New