What are some of the best books on Evolutionary Biology?
11 Answers
I love E. O. Wilson and Robert MacArthur's Theory of Island Biogeography. Strictly speaking, it's not really a book on evolution; mostly, it deals with the ecology of colonization and dispersal. It only deals with evolution inasmuch as evolution is important to how ecosystems form and are changed. I can't even say that it's necessarily accurate - it's certainly outdated, although I believe Jonathan Losos has published an excellent new and updated edition. Wilson and MacArthur are very clear about the fact that the book is a starting point, not an ending point. Yet its mathematical models are intuitive and easy to follow (a rarity in much scientific work), and they back them up with the best evidence of the day. I don't think that I really had a clear idea of how evolutionary and ecological concepts interact in their effects on species over different time scales until I read this book. Ideas like strategies of colonization, reproduction, and resource use are explained very well in an evolutionary perspective.
Matt Ridley's books including "The Red Queen" and "Genome: A Species in 23 Chapters." Also get your mitts on a variety of tomes by EO Wilson. You may also want to explore some of the midcentury writers like Stephen Jay Gould.
Bonus points for Lewis Thomas' work "The Medusa and the Snail." Incredible.
"Science and Human Values" for ethics and evolbio by J. Bronowski. (1956)
Bonus points for Lewis Thomas' work "The Medusa and the Snail." Incredible.
"Science and Human Values" for ethics and evolbio by J. Bronowski. (1956)
Wow, hard to pick just one, and without knowing your educational background, it's a difficult one to answer. That said, I'll give it a try....
"Origin Of Species" - Charles Darwin. I know, seems obvious, but I figured I would start with it anyway. The 19th century prose doesn't flow as comfortably to modern readers as maybe it did 150 years ago, and the parts about domestication of fowl seems a bit tedious. When put in context of what Darwin was doing and what his Victorian audience expected, it's still very special. And it is quite possibly the most important science book ever.
"The Blind Watchmaker" - Richard Dawkins. There are plenty of really good Dawkins books. This was the first one I read, and while some of the technology parts in it may seem a little dated now, it's still really good at conveying the concepts of natural selection. "The Ancestor's Tale" is another good choice.
"Wonderful Life" - Stephen Jay Gould. This is the definitive pop culture book on the Burgess Shale fossils that revolutionized our view of early life in the oceans. Gould and Dawkins are two of the best.
"The Beak of the Finch" - Jonathan Weiner. Wonderful book about observing evolutionary changes in populations of finch in the Galapagos. This book focuses on the long-term research of a Peter and Rosemary Grant, and it paints as clear a picture as one could imagine of how changes can take place in just a few generations of individuals. Great read.
"Darwin's Dangerous Idea" - Daniel Dennett. This is a seriously challenging read. Every sentence is rich with information, and you'll find yourself having to read and re-read portions to absorb exactly what it is that Dennett is saying. If you can get through it, you'll truly enjoy it.
"Origin Of Species" - Charles Darwin. I know, seems obvious, but I figured I would start with it anyway. The 19th century prose doesn't flow as comfortably to modern readers as maybe it did 150 years ago, and the parts about domestication of fowl seems a bit tedious. When put in context of what Darwin was doing and what his Victorian audience expected, it's still very special. And it is quite possibly the most important science book ever.
"The Blind Watchmaker" - Richard Dawkins. There are plenty of really good Dawkins books. This was the first one I read, and while some of the technology parts in it may seem a little dated now, it's still really good at conveying the concepts of natural selection. "The Ancestor's Tale" is another good choice.
"Wonderful Life" - Stephen Jay Gould. This is the definitive pop culture book on the Burgess Shale fossils that revolutionized our view of early life in the oceans. Gould and Dawkins are two of the best.
"The Beak of the Finch" - Jonathan Weiner. Wonderful book about observing evolutionary changes in populations of finch in the Galapagos. This book focuses on the long-term research of a Peter and Rosemary Grant, and it paints as clear a picture as one could imagine of how changes can take place in just a few generations of individuals. Great read.
"Darwin's Dangerous Idea" - Daniel Dennett. This is a seriously challenging read. Every sentence is rich with information, and you'll find yourself having to read and re-read portions to absorb exactly what it is that Dennett is saying. If you can get through it, you'll truly enjoy it.
