George Gaylord Simpson : paleontologist and evolutionist / Léo F. Laporte.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Laporte, Léo F.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Simpson, George Gaylord, 1902-1984.

Simpson, George Gaylord.

Paleontologists--United States--Biography.

Paleontologists.

United States.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xvi, 332 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, [2000]

Summary:

Focusing on Simpson's scientific contributions, Laporte provides chapters on Simpson's earliest paleontological research through his distinguished Alexander Agassiz professorship at Harvard and his extensive fieldwork for the American Museum of Natural History, where he developed the core themes set forth in his most prestigious work, "Tempo and Mode in Evolution"

Contents:

2. Paleontology and the Expansion of Biology 17

Biology and Fossils at Yale 19

Biology and Fossils at the American Museum 21

Simpson's Biological Insights of the 1930s 25

Tempo and Mode in Evolution 29

Response to Tempo and Mode 31

Adoption of the Population Concept of Species 34

Disciplinary Independence for Paleontology 37

3. The Summer of 1924 41

"A Very Promising Graduate Student" 41

"Digressing All Over the Landscape" 45

"Some Discovery to Rival the Boss's" 47

"A Considerable Piece of Work" 50

"Bone is Abundant" 56

"Busy Collecting Other Men's Prospects" 57

"First Paper I Ever Wrote" 61

"Beginning a Series of Raids" 62

4. Darwin's World 67

Presbyterianism and Apostasy 70

Evolution and Darwin 72

Six Darwinian Themes 73

Selected Simpson Commentaries on Darwin 78

5. Paleocene Mammals of Montana 80

The Invitation 81

First Field Season

1932 83

South American Interlude 84

Second Field Season

1935 86

"New Ways of Going at Things" 87

6. On Species 96

From Types to Statistical Inferences 98

From Statistics to Ecology 105

From Species to Higher Categories 107

Species as an Evolutionary Concept 109

7. Tempo and Mode in Evolution 112

Two Door-Openers 113

The New Genetics 115

Genetics and the Origin of Species 117

The Contemporary Paleontology 120

Tempo and Mode in Evolution 126

Micro-, Macro-, and Mega-Evolution 139

Low-Rate and High-Rate Lines 144

Inertia, Trend, and Momentum 147

Organism and Environment 151

Modes of Evolution 155

Reception and Impact 162

Final Perspective 171

8. Mentor for Paleoanthropology 174

The Evolutionary Synthesis 175

Simpson's Credentials 176

Simpson as Mentor 178

Simpson as Critic 182

Simpson as Apologist 189

9. Wrong for the Right Reasons 195

Wegener and Fossils 197

Simpson's Response to Drift 198

Structure of Simpson's Rebuttal 200

The Plate Tectonics Revolution 213

Simpson's Conversion 215

10. The Mind's Eye 221

Showing What Is Observed 223

Visual Induction 223

Visual Deduction 227

The Visual as Effect and Affect 236

11. The Awkward Embrace 240

Prelude to the American Museum Appointment 241

Simpson Joins the American Museum 241

American Museum Research and Expeditions 243

New Directions with a New Director 245

Simpson as Administrator 247

Accident in Brazil 249

"Plus Ca Change ..." 251

12. Concession to the Ineluctable 256

Magruder's Misadventure 257

The Nature of Time 259

Past Life's Lessons 261

Melancholia 263

Simpson as Sam Magruder 264.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [305]-318) and index.

ISBN:

0231120648

0231120656

OCLC:

43706868