by [author, Christopher Maynard (1976)
Discusses the origin of life on earth, from the simplest forms to the development of man, including theories of plant and animal evolution.
Roy A. Gallant
Presents the theories, controversies, and latest scientific thinking on how the Solar System, the Earth, and the first biological organisms came to be and how the latter changed and adapted for survival. Includes a glossary of terms.
Marilyn Bailey
Presents differing views of experts on the origins of earth and its creatures. Explores the Bible story, Darwinian theories, fossils, and carbon-dating techniques.
Patrice A. Teltser
What is the role of neo-Darwinian evolution in explaining variation in prehistoric behavior? Evolutionary Archaeology, a collection of nine papers from a variety of contributors, is the first book-length treatment of the evolutionists' position. Evolutionary archaeologists argue that Darwinian natural selection acts on human behavior, resulting in the persistence of alternative human behaviors and the material products of those behaviors. The contributors all address the methodological requirements of evolutionary theory as it may apply to the nature of archaeological data. Several contributors evaluate the methodological implications of basic evolutionary principles, including the structure of explanations, the units of evolution and analysis, and measurement of information transmission. Others explore the role of specific analytic approaches such as seriation, raw material sourcing, and comparative and engineering analyses. Still others confront the issue of reformulating archaeological problems from the point of view of evolutionary theory.
Robert L. Carroll
Patterns and Processes of Vertebrate Evolution is a new text providing an integrated view of the forces that influence the patterns and rates of vertebrate evolution, from those at the level of living populations and species to those that resulted in the origin and radiation of the major vertebrate clades. The evolutionary roles of behavior, development, continental drift, and mass extinctions are compared with the importance of variation and natural selection that were emphasized by Darwin. The book is extensively illustrated, showing major transitions from fish to amphibians, dinosaurs to birds, and land mammals to whales. No work since Simpson's Major Features of Evolution has attempted such a broad study of the patterns and forces of evolutionary change. Undergraduate students taking a general or advanced course on evolution, as well as graduate students and professionals in evolutionary biology and paleontology, will find this book of great interest.