Animal Species and Evolution / Ernst Mayr.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Mayr, Ernst, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Animal species.

Biowissenschaften, Biologie.

Dieren.

Espèces, Origine des.

Evolution (Biology).

Evolution.

Soorten (biologie).

Zoology.

Animals--Variation.

Biological Evolution.

SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Biology.

Species.

Local Subjects:

Animals--Variation.

Biological Evolution.

SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Biology.

Species.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (811 p.)

Edition:

3rd printing 1966. Reprint 2014

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, MA : Harvard University Press, [2014]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This masterly and long-awaited work is a full exposition, synthesis, summation, and critical evaluation of the present state of man's knowledge about the nature of animal species and of the part they play in the processes of evolution. In a series of twenty chapters, Ernst Mayr presents a consecutive story, beginning with a description of evolutionary biology and ending with a discussion of man as a biological species. Calling attention to unsolved problems, and relating the evolutionary subject matter to appropriate material from other fields, such as physiology, genetics, and biochemistry, the author integrates and interprets existing data. Believing that an unequivocal stand is more likely to produce constructive criticism than evasion of an issue, he does not hesitate to choose that interpretation of a controversial matter which to him seems most consistent with the emerging picture of the evolutionary process. Between the terminal points mentioned above, Mr. Mayr pursues the narrative through discussions of species concepts and their application, morphological species characters and sibling species, biological properties of species, isolating mechanisms, hybridization, the variation and genetics of populations, storage and protection of genetic variation, the unity of the genotype, geographic variation, the polytypic species of the taxonomist, the population structure of species, kinds of species, multiplication of species, geographic speciation, the genetics of speciation, the ecology of speciation, and species and transpecific evolution. The volume provides a valuable glossary; and an inclusive bibliography greatly extends its range for those who wish to investigate special aspects of the material. Animal Species and Evolution is presented as a permanent entity. In accordance with the author's feeling that the acquisition of new knowledge will require a new statement, rather than an emendation of a previous one, no substantive revisions of this volume are planned for future printings. Because of the impossibility of experimenting with man, and because an understanding of man's biology is indispensable for safeguarding his future, emphasis throughout this book is placed on those findings from the higher animals which are directly applicable to man. In his final chapter on hominids and the various forms of Homo, Mr. Mayr comes to the conclusion that, while modern man appears to be just as well adapted for survival purposes as were his ancestors, there is much evidence to suggest that he is threatened by the loss of his most typically human characteristics. It would be within his power to reverse this tendency.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Preface

Contents

Tables

Figures

1 ~ Evolutionary Biology

2 ~ Species Concepts and Their Application

3 ~ Morphological Species Characters and Sibling Species

4 ~ Biological Properties of Species

5 ~ Isolating Mechanisms

6 ~ The Breakdown of Isolating Mechanisms (Hybridization)

7 ~ The Population, Its Variation and Genetics

8 ~ Factors Reducing the Genetic Variation of Populations

9 ~ Storage and Protection of Genetic Variation

10 ~ The Unity of the Genotype

11 ~ Geographic Variation

12 ~ The Polytypic Species of the Taxonomist

13 ~ The Population Structure of Species

14 ~ Kinds of Species

15 ~ Multiplication of Species

16 ~ Geographic Speciation

17 ~ The Genetics of Speciation

18 ~ The Ecology of Speciation

19 ~ Species and Transpecific Evolution

20 ~ Man as a Biological Species

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Mai 2019)

ISBN:

0-674-86532-4

OCLC:

1024022240