more modern works on Evolution. Is Origin of Species, for lack of a better term, updated? I am a novice at this and I am studying for my own fulfillment, but I do have a strong grasp of jargon, so fire away.
2006-10-13 03:57:11 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Try something by Stephen J. Gould. He writes well and thinks very clearly about evolution. Gould has several books out. I've appended a couple of his articles.
Aloha
2006-10-13 04:05:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
It's a great read isn't it! A huge amount of Science has obviously been done since. Stephen Jay Goulds huge scientific tome "The Structure of Evolutionary Theory" is very good, if a bit pretentious in language and very dense to read (unlike his lay-person books). The first half is a review of the history of the Theory of Evolution so is good in that way. An easier read is "What Evolution Is" by Ernst Mayr. And I'm told "Science on Trial: The Case for Evolution" by Futuyma is a good too if your interested in the Science vs Creationism thing (also Dawkins - The Blind Watchmaker). Futuymas "Evolutionary Biology" is definately a very good text-book.
For a great read though, anything by Dawkins and especially any of Goulds compilations of essays.
2006-10-13 05:34:49 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are some very good suggestions here. I admire you for reading Origin of Species... it is kind of old fashioned in its language, and of course, in 1859 when he wrote it, Darwin did not have all the huge mass of biological and biochemical knowledge available to modern writers. It is historically interesting but you shouldnt try to spend too much time working through parts that puzzle you, as they have been hashed out inthe last 147 years and Gould and others can explain better.
2006-10-13 04:38:44 · answer #3 · answered by matt 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you are looking for more info on human evolution check out books by Richard Leakey and Donald Johanson - those are the guys dedicated to this and out there in the field looking too. Also a must read is The Real Eve by Steven Oppenheimer
2006-10-13 07:49:11 · answer #4 · answered by Sage Bluestorm 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, they pretty much still say the same thing. Similar creatures at some point shared a common ancestor with similar traits. We evolved from them using the mechanism of Natural Selection, where species in a certain area that had a trait that made them more acceptable (ability to hide from predators, fly, etc) were able to produce more offspring thrived and survived, while others became extinct.
2006-10-13 06:08:29 · answer #5 · answered by smarty21 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stephen J. Gould is a good choice, you could also try Richard Dawkins. His book The Blind Watchmaker is pretty much considered a modern 'must read' in the field of evolution.
2006-10-13 04:13:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Orgin of Species was written before the discovery of DNA. Since DNA is fundamental in evolution of species you could say it is somewhat out of date.
Another book you could read would be Finding Darwin's God by Kenneth Miller, who is a devout Roman Catholic who supports evolution as a work of God.
2006-10-13 04:42:05 · answer #7 · answered by nc.bowerman@sbcglobal.net 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I also recommend "River out of Eden" by Richard Dawkins.
2006-10-13 04:15:11 · answer #8 · answered by ThePeter 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not that i have seen. most biology books have a poor darwin chapter and then they go through leneaus and the naming system and then they have the pheological trees but nothing more on the theory itsself.
2006-10-13 04:00:56 · answer #9 · answered by gsschulte 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋