SUDDEN ORIGINS Fossils, Genes, and the Emergence of Species Jeffrey H. Schwartz John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 1999 Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 1 A Rash of Discoveries 14 2 How Humans Distinguished Themselves from the Rest of the Animal World 46 3 Coming to Grips with the Past 71 4 Filling in the Gaps of Human Evolution 100 5 Humans as Embryos 126 6 Development, Inheritance, and Evolutionary Change 162 7 Genetics and the Demise of Darwinism 187 8 Rediscovering Darwin 217 9 Genetics Goes Statistical 243 10 The Origin of Species Revisited 276 11 Toward a New Evolution 310 12 The New Evolution 349 References and Notes 380 Glossary 405 Index 409 FROM THE BACK COVER: "A detailed and informative historical account."-Nature "A provocative new theory to explain how species arise."-Scientific American "A worthwhile attempt at bridging the new developments in how species may change and the evidence for the patterns of those changes."-American Scientist Darwin may have argued that new species emerge through a slow, gradual accumulation of tiny mutations, but the fossil record reveals a very different scenario-the sudden emergence of whole new species, with no apparent immediate ancestors. In this provocative and timely book, Jeffrey Schwartz presents a groundbreaking and radical new theory that explains exactly how evolution works. Turning to the marvels of genetics, paleontology, embryology, and anatomy, and introducing the recent discovery of an extraordinary type of gene, known as homeobox genes, Schwartz provides an evocative answer to the long-standing question: How do species emerge? Writing with the expert knowledge only an insider can bring, Schwartz tells the intriguing history of the study of evolution, from the initial breakthrough discoveries to the famous Piltdown controversy up through the genetics revolution. Sudden Origins is a monumental book that ties together all the threads of evolutionary theory while providing a compelling answer to one of life's most enduring conundrums. This book is crucial reading for anyone who has ever pondered the mysteries of our evolutionary heritage. JEFFREY H. SCHWARTZ, Ph.D., is a professor of anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh and the author of the critically acclaimed The Red Ape and What the Bones Tell Us. He is also the coauthor, with Ian Tattersall, of the forthcoming landmark three-volume work, The Human Fossil Record. PREFACE Everyone who will read this book probably has not only a general idea of what evolution is but also a mental outline of the major events in human evolution. The fact that interest in the general theory, and in human evolution specifically, seem naturally to go hand in hand is no extraordinary coincidence. For as long as people exist there will be a yearning to understand our place in nature. In the course of trying to unravel this mystery, one is inevitably forced to consider the broader issues concerning life as we know it on earth. Often, thoughts on human origins set the stage for broader evolutionary speculations. Equally often, however, one sees either a book on human evolution or a book on evolutionary theory. Because these two stories are entwined, I have kept them together. In the pages that follow, I will explore the historical threads that have brought us to our present appreciation of the reality of fossils and genes and the ways in which these aspects of an organism's existence have enhanced our comprehension of evolution. You will see that there was a diversity of interpretations along the way, many of which differed dramatically from the more popular presentations based on Darwinism. All too often, the past is ignored, as if it no longer had any relevance. The scientific literature rarely contains references to studies that are five, much less ten, years old. But it is imperative that we return to the past as often as we can in order to better understand how we came to be where we are and why we think the way we do. In doing so, we are frequently amazed at how much of what we take for granted emerged from an intellectual battle in which one of an array of alternative theories was the victor. Intellectual victory does not, however, necessarily equate with correctness. In the evolutionary sciences, where we are all struggling to piece together a history that can be perceived only through the fragments of fossils or the living termini of a past that is now lost, it would be foolhardy to cling unreservedly to a particular set of models and hypotheses without at least occasionally questioning their very bases. Unfortunately, however, the urge to defend rather than dissect our intellectual roots is quite strong. It is my hope that you, the reader, will take my discourse and think about its content in its own right. Regardless of whether you and I come to the same conclusion about how evolution works, I think you will see that the time is ripe for a new look at old issues. Recent discoveries, both of fossils that muddy the presumed clear picture of human evolution and of previously unknown kinds of genes that can control whether an organism develops into a fruit fly or a mouse, serve to take us back to where the early evolutionists began: wrestling with the past through the eyes of a scientist as well as an organism that can contemplate its own existence. Because this contemplation is predicated on our own individual life histories and experiences, it is understandable that alternative worldviews have been, and will continue to be, formulated. This book, then, tells part of that story. WHERE TO ORDER: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1 Wiley Dr. Somerset, NJ, 08875-1272 U.S.A. Phone: 800-225-5945 Fax: 732-302-2300 Cost: Paper $18.95 ISBN: 0471379123
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