Ultimate books?
Pazuzu
it's all a repetition of themes: evolutionists complaining that the
creationists are still making claims that have been rebutted years ago,
creationists accusing evolutionists of hiding or distorting long-known
facts, etcetera.
If this impression is correct, one would expect that on both sides of the
field, there have been written a few books which more or less sum up the
main points, and 'rebut' the other side's opinions as good as possible.
Does anyone think that is the case, and if so, which books would that be?
Sorry if this post is out of place, it's my first contribution here.
Cheers,
Paz
Gerry
"Pazuzu" <e...@dds.nl> wrote in message
news:9k74gd$1vem9$1...@reader01.wxs.nl...
and is pretty comprehensive:
http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/faqs-qa.html
Since each sub-topic is rather specialized, I really don't know of a single
book that tells all - not one as comprehensive and convenient (in its
top-down approach) as the FAQ. Someone here might know better, but
certainly if you haven't already the link above is a good place to start.
Gerry
Floyd
Pazuzu <e...@dds.nl> wrote in article <9k74gd$1vem9$1...@reader01.wxs.nl>...
Hi Paz; welcome to the monkey house! One of the better books on this topic
is _Science on trial : the case for evolution_ (1983) by Douglas Futuyma.
In it, Futuyma presents common creationist arguments, and then explains in
detail, but in a stunningly engaging style, what is wrong with the
creationist claims.
More recently, _Darwin's dangerous idea : evolution and the meanings of
life_ (1995) by Daniel C. Dennett, isn't exclusively focused on this
subject, but still includes a lot. You might also look at _Finding
Darwin's God_ by Kenneth R. Miller. In addition to the same tired old
creationist arguments, Miller also takes on the ID movement, with specific
chapters on Behe and Johnson. Miller is a devout Christian, as well as a
biochemist, so he does not belittle the religious aspects of the debate.
Hope to hear more from you in the future. Cheers;
-Floyd
Noelie S. Alito
news:VYE97.598692$eK2.12...@news4.rdc1.on.home.com...
>
> "Pazuzu" <e...@dds.nl> wrote in message
> news:9k74gd$1vem9$1...@reader01.wxs.nl...
> > Looking at the evolution-creation 'debate', I often get the feeling that
> > it's all a repetition of themes: evolutionists complaining that the
> > creationists are still making claims that have been rebutted years ago,
> > creationists accusing evolutionists of hiding or distorting long-known
> > facts, etcetera.
> >
> > If this impression is correct, one would expect that on both sides of
the
> > field, there have been written a few books which more or less sum up the
> > main points, and 'rebut' the other side's opinions as good as possible.
[An aside: This came up recently and might be of interest, or at least
worth a few yucks:
<http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/postmonth/oct98.html> ]
> >
> > Does anyone think that is the case, and if so, which books would that
be?
> >
> > Sorry if this post is out of place, it's my first contribution here.
> >
> Have you read through the talk.origins FAQ? It's a great place to start
IMO
> and is pretty comprehensive:
> http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/faqs-qa.html
>
> Since each sub-topic is rather specialized, I really don't know of a
single
> book that tells all - not one as comprehensive and convenient (in its
> top-down approach) as the FAQ. Someone here might know better, but
> certainly if you haven't already the link above is a good place to start.
This is a very good place to start, since it is relatively up-to-date
and includes links to creationist sites. (Has anyone ever seen a
creationist site which linked to evo sites?)
Two older, but very accessible books on the topic are:
_Abusing_Science_ (The Case Against Creationism), by
Philip Kitcher. It dates from 1982.
_Evolution_and_the_Myth_of_Creationism_, by Tim M. Berra.
It dates from 1990, so its section on hominid fossils obviously
does not include the most recent stuff.
There are, of course, other pop books on evolution (tons of
Stephen J. Gould, for example, or the Pulitzer Prize-winning
_The_Beak_of_the_Finch_, which I highly recommend).
Have fun!
Noelie
--
<wham!> "Now behave, or I'll explain it to you again!"
Sverker Johansson
> Looking at the evolution-creation 'debate', I often get the feeling that
> it's all a repetition of themes: evolutionists complaining that the
> creationists are still making claims that have been rebutted years ago,
> creationists accusing evolutionists of hiding or distorting long-known
> facts, etcetera.
>
> If this impression is correct, one would expect that on both sides of the
> field, there have been written a few books which more or less sum up the
> main points, and 'rebut' the other side's opinions as good as possible.
>
> Does anyone think that is the case, and if so, which books would that be?
On the side of science there are quite a few. For scientific rebuttals
of the arguments of 'scientific creationism', Strahler (1987) "Science
and Earth History" (Prometheus books) is the bible, though it's getting a
bit old (there's been a new edition, but as far as I can tell it hasn't
changed a lot). For the philosphical side, including the new ID creationism,
Robert Pennock (2000?) "Tower of Babel" is excellent.
And then there are of course the faqs of this group at
http://www.talkorigins.org
Not a book, but nevertheless quite comprehensive.
Best regards
Sverker Johansson
FNCI
Since the hot "challenge" today is "intelligent design" rather than
"young-earthism," I also recommend "Finding Darwin's God." I am now reading
"Tower of Babel" by Robert Pennock, which takes another approach to refuting
ID. IMO the books defending ID are not worth the paper they are printed on, but
to be fair, you might check "Darwin's Black Box" by Michael Behe. Unless you
can really tell the science from the philosophy, I would avoid Dawkins and
Gould for the time being.
Dan Fake
> it's all a repetition of themes: evolutionists complaining that the
> creationists are still making claims that have been rebutted years ago,
> creationists accusing evolutionists of hiding or distorting long-known
> facts, etcetera.
>
> If this impression is correct, one would expect that on both sides of the
> field, there have been written a few books which more or less sum up the
> main points, and 'rebut' the other side's opinions as good as possible.
>
> Does anyone think that is the case, and if so, which books would that be?
Creationism is religion.
Evolution is science.
For details, refer to the following:
Top 420 Books for SHANANNAREEFERS
(282-320 : Science/Origins)
SHANANNAREEFERS?
Seekers Humanists Atheists Naturalists
Agnostics Nonreligionists Nontheists Antireligionists
Realists Educationalists Experimentalists Freethinkers
Enlightened Rationalists Secularists
282. The Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0517123207
"Perhaps the most readable and accessible of the
great works of scientific imagination, The Origin
of Species sold out on the day it was published
in 1859. Theologians quickly labeled Charles
Darwin the most dangerous man in England, and,
as the Saturday Review noted, the uproar over
the book quickly 'passed beyond the bounds of
the study and lecture-room into the drawing-room
and the public street.' Yet, after reading it, Darwin's
friend and colleague T. H. Huxley had a different
reaction: 'How extremely stupid not to have
thought of that.' ..."
283. Darwin's Ghost : The Origin of Species
Updated, by Steve Jones
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375501037
"Jones has been called 'the British Carl Sagan'
because of his prominence as a popularizer of
science. Using contemporary examples--the
AIDS virus, the rules of the American Kennel
Club, the sheep who never forget a face and
the garbage that floats in the Pacific--he shows
the power and immediacy of Darwin's great
argument. Filled with anecdotes, humor and
the very latest research, Darwin's Ghost is
a popular, readable and comprehensive
account of the science that makes life make
sense."
284. The Triumph of Evolution...And the
Failure of Creationism, by Niles Eldredge
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0716736381
"A curator in invertebrate paleontology at the
American Museum of Natural History, Eldredge
sets out and counters the arguments of conservative
Christians against evolution and for divine creation.
He describes their basic argument and their strategies
for advancing it, the recent attack on philosophical
naturalism, and models of intelligent design. He also
disputes the claim that the study of evolution cannot
be scientific and leads to a demise of family, religion,
and traditional values."
285. The Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of
Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design,
by Richard Dawkins
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393315703
"Patiently and lucidly, this Los Angeles Times Book
Award and Royal Society of Literature Heinemann
Prize winner identifies the aspects of the theory
of evolution that people find hard to believe and
removes the barriers to credibility one by one.
As readable and vigorous a defense of Darwinism
as has been published since 1859, leaps effortlessly
from the primeval soup to long rows of taxonomy.
Deep enough to be valuable to biologists, yet
simple and well-written so as to appeal to a mass
audience."
286. Climbing Mount Improbable,
by Richard Dawkins
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0393316823
"How do species evolve? Richard Dawkins likens
the process to scaling a huge, Himalayan-size peak,
the Mount Improbable of his title. An alpinist does
not leap from sea level to the summit; neither does
a species utterly change forms over night, but
instead follows a course of 'slow, cumulative,
one-step-at-a-time, non-random survival of
random variants'--a course that Charles Darwin,
Dawkins's great hero, called natural selection.
Illustrating his arguments with case studies from
the natural world, such as the evolution of the eye
and the lung, and the coevolution of certain kinds
of figs and wasps, Dawkins provides a vigorous,
entertaining defense of key Darwinian ideas."
287. Science on Trial : The Case for Evolution,
by Douglas J. Futuyma
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0878931848
"This book truly exposes 'creation science' as a
sham, and proudly reasons through why. Offering
insightful information and diagrams, he carefully
tears down the banner of lies held high by hard
core creationists.
However, even as it destroys creationist arguments,
it displays current biological information that
supports evolution 100%. Truly a book for the
age when people are considering putting 'creation
science' in the classroom and Christian clubs bring
lecturers into school to preach creationism. All
those that don't face the fact of evolution after
reading this book will never be convinced."
288. Teaching About Evolution and the Nature of
Science, by National Academy of Sciences Staff
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0309063647
"Provides a well-structured framework for
understanding and teaching evolution. ... This
book illustrates how evolution explains both the
great diversity and the underlying similarity of
the earth's organisms; it explores how scientists
approach the question of evolution; and it
describes the nature of science as a way of
knowing about the natural world. In addition,
the book provides answers to frequently asked
questions to help readers understand many of
the issues and misconceptions about evolution."
289. Dawn of Man: The Story of Human
Evolution, by Robin McKie
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789462621
"Dawn of Man, which accompanies a BBC
television series, tells the story of human evolution,
warts and all, over the last 4 million years or so.
From a shared ancestor with the higher apes, an
upright, walking ape-human in Africa, McKie takes
our story through the Ice Age to domination by
modern humans."
290. In the Footsteps of Eve : The Mystery
of Human Origins, by Lee R. Berger,
Brett Hilton-Barber (Contributor)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0792276825
"Where did we come from? Though it's been fairly
well settled that our species was born in Africa,
the debate still rages over our hometown. In the
Footsteps of Eve: The Mystery of Human Origins
is a beautifully written argument in favor of the
southern end of the continent rather than the
eastern locations more popular among paleo-
anthropologists."
291. The Dawn of Human Culture
by Richard G. Klein, Blake Edgar
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471252522
"Why is it that Homo sapiens suddenly developed
a remarkable range of new talents in a 'big bang'
that produced the first signs of truly human
culture? ... Now, preeminent anthropologist
Richard Klein offers a compelling answer.
He reexamines the archaeological evidence
-- including the latest findings -- and brings
in new discoveries in the study of the human
brain to show that the incredibly rapid evolution
of new skills was the result of a dramatic
neurological change in the human brain that
allowed humans to think and behave in much
more sophisticated ways."
292. The Riddled Chain : Chance,
Coincidence, and Chaos in Human
Evolution, by Jeffrey Kevin McKee
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/081352783X
" 'Human evolution,' McKee writes, 'has been the
product of many forces that together made us
neither inevitable nor probable.' The same holds
true for other species. With all due respect to
Lamarck, McKee adds, the giraffe came to have
its long neck by a roll of the genetic dice, but
a roll that lent the giraffe a competitive advantage
over its shorter-necked browsing cousins, and
therefore one subsequently reinforced by natural
selection."
293. Tales of the Rational : Skeptical
Essays About Nature and Science,
by Massimo Pigliucci
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1887392114
"Engaging, compelling, witty essays that put in
perspective some of the most fascinating scientific
and pseudo-scientific claims of the 20th century.
Includes discussions of: atheism, straw-man
arguments, creationism, debating creationists
and theists, evolutionary biology, Christian
apologetics, critiques of modern science, the
search for extraterrestrial life, the search for
the origins of life, chaos theory, and much
more."
294. Sudden Origins : Fossils, Genes, and the
Emergence of Species, by Jeffrey H. Schwartz
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471329851
"Do new species arise by way of gradual changes in
pre-cursor creatures or through abrupt, large-scale
reorganization of entire anatomical systems? Debates
on this subject go way back. Schwartz, a professor
of anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh,
reviews the debates in detail and comes down on
the side of leap-frog evolution, offering a
provocative new theory to explain how species
arise."
295. At Home in the Universe : The Search for
Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity,
by Stuart Kauffman
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195111303
"This outstanding book provides the basis for
understanding the extremely complex systems
on our life. In some sense, I found it depressing
because it provides scientific explanations for
many areas that I had attributed to God. In another
I found it extremely empowering because it helps
to explain many issues that we see in life."
296. The Fifth Miracle : The Search for the
Origin and Meaning of Life, by Paul Davies
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684837994
Review excerpt from Scientific American: "His
thesis is that 'the first terrestrial organisms lived
deep underground, entombed within geothermally
heated rocks in pressure-cooker conditions.' Davies
also looks at the theories that life began by chemical
assembly in a watery medium and that it came to
the earth from space in the form of already viable
microbes--the panspermia hypothesis. ..."
297. A Walk Through Time, From Stardust to
Us: The Evolution of Life on Earth,
by Sidney Liebes, Elisabet Sahtouris,
Brian Swimme
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0471317004
"A Walk Through Time is a landmark book,
gorgeously illustrating the remarkable drama of
the history of the universe, from the furious blast
of the Big Bang to the first pulse of life on Earth
and on through the rich pageant of life's evolution
from primordial microbes to the rise of Homo
sapiens. 130 color illustrations."
298. The Origins of Life : From the Birth
of Life to the Origin of Language,
by John Maynard Smith, Eors Szathmary
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0198504934
"Here is a brilliant, state-of-the-art account of
how life evolved on earth, focusing primarily on
six major transitions--dramatic breakthroughs in
the way that information was passed between
generations.
The authors offer illuminating explorations of the
origin of life itself, the arrival of the first cells with
nuclei, the first reproduction by sexual means,
the appearance of multicellular plants and animals,
the emergence of cooperation and of animal
societies, and the birth of language."
299. Life : A Natural History of the First
Four Billion Years of Life on Earth,
by Richard Fortey
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/037570261x/
Review excerpt from Scientific American: "The
narrative of life requires a scale of thousands to
millions of years, acting over a drama of more
than 3,000 million years." ... His story takes life
from the first single-celled organisms to prehistoric
humans ..."
300. Trilobite : Eyewitness to Evolution,
by Richard Fortey
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375406255
"With Fortey's expert guidance, we begin to
understand how trilobites reveal the pattern and
mechanism of evolution through their fossil legacy
in the rocks. Through the eyes of trilobites, he
allows us glimpses of former worlds as foreign
in their geography as in their life forms. Altogether,
he provides a unique picture of our geological
past, which in turn provides us--scientist and
layperson alike--with a new grasp of the wonders
of scientific discovery."
301. Walking with Dinosaurs: A Natural History
by Tim Haines
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0789451875
"Based on one of the most ambitious television
ventures ever undertaken, Walking With Dinosaurs:
A Natural History takes you back to a time when
super-beasts ruled the world. This full-color,
hardcover edition captures the awesome nature
of the Discovery Channel program in 288
action-packed pages. Through expertly-written
text and state-of-the-art computer graphics,
this book vividly depicts the age of the dinosaur."
302. The Scientific American Book of
Dinosaurs, by Gregory Paul (Editor)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312262264
"Discover how dinosaurs evolved, how they
looked, where they lived, how they behaved,
and why they died: the current state of knowledge
about the Monsters of the Mesozoic, complete
in one volume. Acclaimed dinosaur paleontologist
and paleo-artist Gregory S. Paul conducts this
definitive tour through the 140-million-year
existence of the most exotic and interesting
group of animals ever to walk the earth, assisted
by the world's leading dinosaur experts. ... Filled
with spectacular full-color illustrations of dinosaurs
in action, plus black-and-white art and graphics."
303. In the Presence of Dinosaurs,
by John Colagrande, Larry Felder (Illustrator),
Jack Horner
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0737000899
"Prepare to forget everything you thought you knew
about dinosaurs. Ferocious battles of lore played
out by dimwitted, reptilian, lumbering monsters?
Not true. In the Presence of Dinosaurs draws on
the latest information from fossil records and
studies of present-day wildlife to create an intimate
account of the parentally attentive, agile ancestors
of birds that roamed the earth millions of years
ago. ... Throughout are 100 glorious, full-color
paintings by acclaimed dinosaur artist Larry
Felder."
304. The New Dinosaurs, by William Stout
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743407245
"Here are dinosaurs as you've never seen them
before in a dramatically expanded new edition of
the book that started the renaissance in dinosaur
books. Here are dinosaurs that are swift, stunning,
scary and stupendous, presented in a lavish format.
Using the latest paleontological research, The
New Dinosaurs presents a scientifically accurate
look at the way dinosaurs lived: how they moved,
ate, dueled, drank and mated."
305. The Dinosaur Heresies : New Theories
Unlocking the Mystery of the Dinosaurs and
Their Extinction, by Robert T. Bakker
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0821756087
Review synopsis: "For over a century, dinosaurs
have been thought of as plodding, dim-witted
giant lizards too awkward and ill-equipped to
survive the ravages of environmental change.
Bakker offers startling new evidence destined
to forever alter the perception of the much-
maligned monsters, depicting them as never
before imagined: hot-blooded, amazingly agile,
and surprisingly intelligent."
306. The Simon & Schuster Encyclopedia of
Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Creatures : A Visual
Who's Who of Prehistoric Life,
by Douglas Palmer, Barry Cox (Editor),
R. J. G. Savage, Brian Gardiner, Douglas Dixon
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684864118
"With entries for more than 600 species, each
arranged in its evolutionary sequence, the book
presents a panorama of enormous diversity, from
predatory dinosaurs to primitive amphibians,
from giant armored fish to woolly mammoths,
saber-tooth tigers and dire wolves. Each entry
features a specially commissioned full-color
painting prepared according to the best research
of today in close collaboration with world-
renowned paleontologists."
307. DK Pockets: Dinosaurs, by Neil Clark,
William Lindsay
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1564586626
"Dinosaurs are a huge subject, all right, as hundreds
of huge volumes will testify. But suppose you'd like
a handy little reference book on these extinct reptiles,
maybe one that you could stick in your backpack
or even in your pocket? This small but sturdy book
from Dorling Kindersley fits the bill, with tons of
information on all things relating to dinosaurs and
their world."
308. Asteroid Impact,
by Douglas Henderson (Illustrator),
Toby Sherry (Editor)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0803725000
"Sixty-five million years ago, Earth was alive with
pterosaurs, marine reptiles, and dinosaurs. But
some event brought the Age of Reptiles to an
abrupt end--an event believed by many scientists
to be the collision of a large asteroid with Earth.
Douglas Henderson draws on well-respected
theories from physics, geology, astronomy, and
paleontology to re-create the asteroid's impact.
With breathtaking paintings and a clear accessible
text, he explains this fascinating subject in vivid
detail."
309. Fire on Earth : Doomsday, Dinosaurs, and
Humankind, by John R. Gribbin
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0312155298
"Able and prolific science popularizers, the Gribbins
turn their attention to that world-wide attention-getter
of 1993: the Jupiter-comet collision. Wondering if it
can happen to Earth, the Gribbins retell the discovery
of the principal terrestrial evidence that it already has
--the iridium layer and crater in Mexico confirming
a cataclysmic, dinosaur-extinguishing collision. ..."
310. Powers of Ten: A Flipbook,
by Charles Eames, Ray Eames
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0716734419
"A fun and compact visual odyssey, this flipbook
shows readers not only the relative size of things in
the known world, but our own place in it. This
magnificent journey begins millions of light years
away, with every two pages representing a view
ten times larger than the view two pages earlier.
Full color."
311. The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the
Evolution of Human Intelligence, by Carl Sagan
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345346297
"Dr. Carl Sagan takes us on a great reading adventure,
offering his vivid and startling insight into the brain
of man and beast, the origin of human intelligence,
the function of our most haunting legends--and their
amazing links to recent discoveries. A history of the
human brain from the big bang, fifteen billion years
ago, to the day before yesterday...It's a delight."
312. Cosmos, by Carl Sagan
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345331354
"The best-selling science book ever published in the
English language, Cosmos is a magnificent overview
of the past, present, and future of science. Brilliant
and provocative, it traces today's knowledge and
scientific methods to their historical roots, blending
science and philosophy in a wholly energetic and
irresistible way."
313. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors:
A Search for Who We Are, by Carl Sagan,
Ann Druyan (Contributor)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345384725
"Dazzling...a feast. Absorbing and elegantly written,
it tells of the origins of life on earth, describes its
variety and character, and culminates in a discussion
of human nature and the complex traces of human-
kind's evolutionary past... it is an amazing story
masterfully told."
314. The Demon-Haunted World: Science
As a Candle in the Dark, by Carl Sagan
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345409469
"Carl Sagan muses on the current state of scientific
thought, which offers him marvelous opportunities
to entertain us with his own childhood experiences,
the newspaper morgues, UFO stories, and the
assorted flotsam and jetsam of pseudoscience.
Along the way he debunks alien abduction, faith-
healing, and channeling; refutes the arguments
that science destroys spirituality, and provides
a 'baloney detection kit' for thinking through
political, social, religious, and other issues."
315. Billions & Billions: Thoughts on Life
and Death at the Brink of the Millennium,
by Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan (Epilogue)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0345379187
"Carl Sagan's last work seems to be the most
powerful yet. He takes an unabashed look at
virtually every aspect of human existence and
its impact on the home planet. It is a philosophical
work that transcends the paradigms of the past,
dropping the excuses for excess such as
patriotism, progress, and religion."
316. The Third Chimpanzee: The Evolution
and Future of the Human Animal,
by Jared Diamond
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060984031
"A provocative look at mankind's evolution from
the ape into the complex creature we call human.
By standards of other animals, our powerful
civilization appears unique. So do many of our
behaviors, including our sexual habits and the
ways we select mates.Yet in many respects we
are merely another species of ape--our genes
are more than 98% identical to those of
chimpanzees."
317. Becoming Human; Evolution and Human
Uniqueness, by Ian Tattersall
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0156006537
"Since Darwin wrote The Descent of Man in 1871,
many evolutionary constructions have been
conceived, usually bearing the features of their
cultural and social contexts. With Ian Tattersall's
smoothly developed argument about the evolution
of distinctively human nature, cultural belief plays
a decisive role."
318. Ever Since Adam and Eve: : The Evolution
of Human Sexuality,
by Malcolm Potts, Roger Short
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521644046
Review Excerpt: "The book tells you about our
evolutionary history, that we are indeed descended
from earlier animals and even earlier forms of life.
They document that the main evolutionary drive
for humans and mammals generally has been and
is SEX, for the key to our existence is the need
to produce the BEST next generation. For many
this book will prove an epiphany of understanding,
a creation of more reverence for life, but one not
based on the mythology of religion, but on the
clear facts of science. Don't miss it."
319. Promiscuity : An Evolutionary History
of Sperm Competition, by Tim Birkhead
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0674004450
"Females, it has become clear, are remarkably
promiscuous and have evolved an astonishing
array of strategies, employed both before and
after copulation, to determine exactly who will
father their offspring. Tim Birkhead reveals a
wonderful world in which males and females vie
with each other as they strive to maximize their
reproductive success. Both sexes have evolved
staggeringly sophisticated ways to get what they
want - often at the expense of the other."
320. The Mating Mind : How Sexual Choice
Shaped the Evolution of Human Nature,
by Geoffrey F. Miller
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0385495161
"A full-throated exponent of evolutionary psy-
chology, Miller is enamored with totally explaining
the creative and moral attributes of the mind. He
posits that they evolved through the string of human
sexual selections that reaches back to the cave-
dwelling days of the Pleistocene. So if you think
you make art for aesthetic reasons or behave nicely
for altruistic ones, Miller begs to dissuade you.
These and other expressions of personality are
all display devices for attracting a mate. Miller
cautiously casts his book as a nondoctrinaire
catalyst of debate."
- - -
O - r - i - g - i - n - s /
E - v - o - l - u - t - i - o - n (072101)
http://home.att.net/~danfake/science/origins_evolution.htm
"... Links to a comprehensive view (the
standard origins links which I've been
maintaining for the last few years) and
links expanding on -and- complementing
that view are included in this post. ..."
- - -
CREATIONISM EVOLVES
Review by Eugenie C. Scott
Tower of Babel: The Evidence against the New Creationism
BY ROBERT T. PENNOCK
http://www.sciam.com/1999/0899issue/0899reviews1.html
Excerpts:
"... Intelligent-design creationists are primarily conservative
Christians greatly concerned over the increasing secularization
of U.S. society.
They wish to promote Christian theism over philosophical
materialism, the view that there are no supernatural forces in
the universe, only matter, energy and their interactions.
Because science rules out supernatural explanations, intel-
ligent-design creationists believe that it promotes philoso-
phical materialism and thus devalues faith.
They accuse scientists of clinging to their naturalistic explan-
ations because of preexisting materialist prejudice rather than
the power of empirical evidence.
Because evolution deals with theologically sensitive issues,
such as humanity's place in the universe, it becomes the
special target of intelligent-design creationists.
Movement leader Phillip E. Johnson, a professor of criminal
law at the University of California at Berkeley, argues that by
showing the weaknesses in evolution, they will drive a wedge
into the ideology of materialism, and theism will emerge tri-
umphant.
One of the goals is to replace modern science with a "theistic
science" in which supernatural explanations will be allowed.
It is therefore a religious movement that is both antiscience
--at least as science is practiced today--and antievolutionary.
.... Johnson and other leaders try hard to hide theological dif-
ferences in and outside their camp, claiming that such "details"
as the age of the earth, Noah's Flood and the like should be
set aside until theism triumphs over the evils of materialist
science.
Intelligent-design creationists try to keep the peace by avoiding
any specific empirical claim about what the designer might have
done, relying instead on bashing evolution.
In this way, the movement shows its inheritance from its cre-
ation science ancestor, which specialized in the negative argu-
ment of "if evolution is wrong, then creationism is right."
.... Intelligent-design creationism versus evolution is not just a
philosophical and theological intellectual exercise: it's also a
fight over what will be taught in our public schools.
.... At heart it is religious (Pennock relates how, on creationist
Web sites and among believers, "intelligent designer" is des-
cribed as the "politically correct term for God") and to qualify
as scientific, it has to argue for the redefinition of science to
include "intervention"--miracles, by any other name.
.... Intelligent design remains a virtually empty bandwagon.
To understand why, instructors might consult Pennock's index
for long lists of "problems with arguments" of intelligent-design
creationism, of Johnson and other leaders and of terms-of-art
like "irreducible complexity," "information" and "explanatory
filter." ..."
- - -
Dinosaur Fossils Reveal Evolution's Big Picture,
Says Paleontologist
Date: Posted 6/25/1999
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/06/990625074549.htm
Excerpt: "Dinosaur fossils are providing the answers to some
of scientists' biggest questions about evolution, according to
paleontologist Paul Sereno, who has assembled the most up-to-
date picture yet of dinosaur evolution in the 25 June 1999 issue
of Science.
In his article, which is part of Science's special issue about
evolution, Sereno shows how dinosaur fossils hold the clues
to questions such as: How does an upstart group of species
beat out the dominant group? How do organisms develop nifty
new tricks like flying? And how does the breakup of a super-
continent affect the course of evolution? ..."
- - -
How Did We Get So Smart? Study Sheds Light
On Evolution Of The Brain
Date: Posted 5/10/2001
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010510071941.htm
Excerpt: "Princeton and Bell Labs scientists have devised
a simple but powerful method for analyzing brain anatomy,
providing the first reliable measure of how brains of humans
and other mammals are related to one another across evolu-
tion. ..."
- - -
Natural Selection Drives Rapid Evolution Of Female
(as Well As Male) Reproductive Proteins In Mammals,
Cornell Study Finds
Date: Posted 3/9/2001
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/03/010307070614.htm
Excerpt: "Chemical signals at the most critical moment for new
life in mammals -- when sperm meets egg and attempts fertiliza-
tion -- evolve rapidly in a process driven by positive Darwinian
selection, according to a Cornell University study.
.... Moreover, the subtle but significant changes in signaling pro-
teins of sperm and eggs could turn out to be an "engine of spe-
ciation," Aquadro says, referring to the origin of new species
through evolution.
Just a few changes in amino acid sequences in recognition of
surface proteins may be enough to make egg and sperm proteins
incompatible, he notes. One of the distinguishing marks of dif-
ferent species is that they cannot cross-reproduce. The study
of the evolution of reproductive proteins might thus provide
important insight into how new species arise. ..."
- - -
Astrobiologists Probe A Desert Galapagos To
See Evolution's Great Leap
Date: Posted 10/24/2000
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/10/001023203910.htm
Excerpt: "It is the most remarkable and important time in the
history of life on Earth -- 540 million years ago, when 3 billion
years of simple, single-celled life reached a dramatic turning
point, and life evolved into a wide variety of multi-cellular
forms.
It was a planetary biological event that is known as the Cambrian
Transition and is sometimes even called "the Cambrian Explosion."
"All hell broke loose in evolution," said Arizona State University
biologist James Elser. "All kinds of new multi-cellular life forms
arose in all the major groups."
"It was a huge, huge event in the biosphere," added ASU paleon-
tologist and astrobiologist Jack Farmer. "We switched over from
a microbially dominated world to one that included large, multi-
celled animals and plants -- large macroscopic organisms.
It was an evolutionary event that changed whole ecosystems.
Suddenly the biosphere added herbivores and carnivores to eco-
systems where none had ever existed before. This meant that all
the ecosystem dynamics -- energy flow processes and so on --
underwent a radical change."
"It's probably the most important event in the history of life and
we don't really understand why it happened," Elser pointed out.
"Though there are lots of ideas about what might have occurred."
- - -
Study Illustrates Diversification, Speciation
In Biological "Islands"
Date: Posted 12/15/2000
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/12/001214083726.htm
Excerpt: "Lizard species on large Caribbean islands are more
numerous than those on smaller islands because there is more
evolution going on. The bigger the island, the faster species pro-
liferate and diversify.
.... "When you focus on the larger islands, the rate of speciation
is a function of island area," said Losos. "A large island equals
more speciation events. At some level this is intuitive, but it has
never been demonstrated before that differences in the rate of
speciation, of evolution, can produce the species-area relation-
ship."
.... "There is simply more opportunity for isolation to occur and
for species to diverge on larger islands," said Losos.
The classic explanation of how speciation occurs is that one
species gets separated into two or more geographically isolated
groups, between which there is no genetic contact.
They are therefore geographically and genetically isolated; they
are not interbreeding. Over time, the groups diverge so that even
if the geographic barrier that caused the isolation was removed,
they are now separate species and cannot interbreed.
An unexpected finding reported by Losos and Schluter is the
existence of an island area threshold of 3000 square kilometers
(roughly 1,800 square miles), below which speciation does not
occur. It is only on the four largest Caribbean islands that there
is evidence of speciation. ..."
- - -
Parasite's Sperm-Encryption Keeps Species Apart
Date: Posted 2/8/2001
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/02/010208074058.htm
Excerpt: "Scientists have found the most convincing evidence
yet that a parasite can contribute to splitting a species in two,
thanks to a phenomenon where a wasp’s damaged sperm can
be "rescued" or fixed only by mating with particular females.
.... "This is the best evidence of a parasite contributing to specia-
tion that we’ve seen," says Werren. "Splitting a species in two
is probably just a side effect of the bacteria’s reproductive
method, of their way of eliminating non-infected hosts."
A consequence of this method of eliminating the non-infected
appears to be that the host species is more susceptible to split-
ting into two species. The two species of wasp that Werren
studied can actually interbreed if given an antibiotic to kill the
Wolbachia. ..."
- - -
Forest Edges Critical To Evolution Of New Species
Date: Posted 11/24/1999
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/11/991123150707.htm
Excerpt: "New Research Bolsters Theory That Forest Edges
Are Hotbeds of Speciation, Kicking Off Global Investigation
Of Evolutionary Processes In Tropical Rainforests ...
- - -
Gene Tug-Of-War Leads To Distinct Species
Date: Posted 5/3/2000
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/05/000502185000.htm
Excerpt: "By crossing two mouse species that normally do not
interbreed, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers
have gained a better understanding of how gene imprinting can
influence the establishment of distinct species.
The majority of mammalian genes are present in two copies that
are expressed and regulated. A small number of mammalian genes,
however, are subject to special regulation by a process called gene
imprinting.
The imprint is a chemical mark attached to genes during egg or
sperm development. Imprinting physically marks a gene in such
a way that the parental origin of the gene can be distinguished
and expressed accordingly.
Most imprinted genes seem to govern fetal growth regulation,
explained Shirley M. Tilghman, an HHMI investigator at Princeton
University. Some researchers speculate that imprinting evolved in
order to establish boundaries between species. Imprinting is also
thought to provide a barrier to unisexual reproduction and the
interbreeding of species. ..."
- - -
Study Of Origin Of Species Enters The Molecular Age
Date: Posted 11/20/1998
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/11/981120080106.htm
Excerpt: "Nothing brings two people closer together than sex,
but for closely related species of fruit flies, it may be what keeps
them apart.
Researchers at the University of Chicago have recently discovered
a gene that appears to play a crucial role in causing one species to
split into two--and stay that way.
The gene causes the male progeny of two recently separated spe-
cies to be sterile--a condition known as hybrid male sterility.
"How speciation occurs is one of the central questions in evolu-
tionary biology," says Chung-I Wu, Ph.D., chairman and pro-
fessor of the department of ecology & evolution at the University
of Chicago, and senior author of the paper in the November 20
issue of Science.
"Geographic isolation and changes in the environment are only
a part of what drives speciation. There are also changes at the
genetic level that are driven by sexual selection. As a result, two
newly formed species can't mix back into one." ..."
- - -
Biologists Uncover Darwin’s "Missing Evidence" For
Divergence Of Species In A Warbler’s Song
Date: Posted 1/19/2001
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/01/010118071334.htm
Excerpt: "Biologists at the University of California, San Diego
have demonstrated, in a study of the songs and genetics of a
series of interbreeding populations of warblers in central Asia,
how one species can diverge into two.
Their description of the intermediate forms of two reproductively
isolated populations of songbirds that no longer interbreed is the
"missing evidence" that Darwin had hoped to use to support his
theory of natural selection, but was never able to find.
"One of the largest mysteries remaining in evolutionary biology
is exactly how one species can gradually diverge into two," says
Darren E. Irwin, a biologist at UCSD who headed the study,
detailed in the January 18 issue of the journal Nature.
"This process, known as speciation, is very difficult to study
because it can take a great deal of time to occur."
.... "The greenish warbler is the first case in which we can see all
the steps that occurred in the behavioral divergence of two species
from their common ancestor. These results demonstrate how small
evolutionary changes can lead to the differences that cause repro-
ductive isolation between species, just as Darwin envisioned."
- - -
New Species Arise More Quickly Than Previously
Believed, UMass Researcher Finds
Date: Posted 10/20/2000
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2000/10/001020092437.htm
Excerpt: "The splitting of a species into two new species may
occur in far fewer generations than scientists previously believed ...
"There is a widely-held perception that when one population splits
into two different environments, traits evolve quickly and, as a
result, the two new populations become less likely to interbreed.
That is, they become reproductively isolated.
This process, called ecological speciation, may be one of the easi-
est and fastest ways that new species arise. Our results suggest
that this perception may not only be correct, but in spades," said
Hendry. ..."
- - -
Study Offers Insights Into Evolutionary Origins Of Life
Date: Posted 5/18/2001
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/05/010518083259.htm
Excerpt: "In some of the strongest evidence yet to support the
RNA world—an era in early evolution when life forms depended
on RNA—scientists at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical
Research have created an RNA catalyst, or a ribozyme, that
possesses some of the key properties needed to sustain life in
such a world.
.... These results, described in the May 18 issue of Science, sug-
gest that RNA could have had the ability to replicate itself and
sustain life in early evolution, before the advent of DNA and
proteins.
The findings will ultimately help evolutionary biologists address
questions about how life began on earth more than three billion
years ago.
.... Theories about the origins of life have long intrigued scientists
and lay people alike. "A fundamental question about the origin of
life is what class of molecules gave rise to some of the earliest life
forms?" says Bartel.
.... "We will never be able to prove the existence of the RNA
world because we can't go back in time—but we can examine
the basic properties of RNA and see if these are compatible
within the RNA world scenario," says Bartel."
- - -
Really Rapid Evolution: Water Pollution Prompts Crustaceans
To Adapt In A Hurry, Cornell And Max-Planck Biologists
Discover
Date: Posted 9/30/1999
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/09/990930071733.htm
Excerpt: "When the going gets toxic, the hungry get clever -- very
quickly --
.... "It appears that ecological events that we think of as occurring
relatively quickly -- such as nutrient enrichment of a lake -- can
be influenced by the rapid evolution of the animals that are affect-
ed," says Hairston, a professor of environmental science. "If these
little crustaceans hadn't changed with the times, their kind might
not have survived."
.... In less than 30 years, as Germany's Lake Constance suffered
environmental degradation from phosphorus pollution, populations
of tiny crustaceans called Daphnia found more and more toxic
cyanobacteria (also called "blue-green algae") mixed with their
favorite food, a more edible type of algae.
So the crustaceans adapted to handle a less nutritious food that
would have seriously stunted the growth of their ancestors, and
they became one of the important, natural controls for toxic
cyanobacteria in the lake.
.... Strong natural selection can lead to rapid changes in organisms,
which can, in turn, influence ecosystem processes," the biologists
concluded in their article. ..."
- - -
Butterflies Help Reveal The Source Of Life's Little Luxuries
Date: Posted 1/25/1999
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/01/990125072521.htm
Excerpt: "How the elephant got its trunk, the deer its antlers
and the rattlesnake its rattles may seem like disparate questions
of developmental biology, but the origins of these novelties,
according to the genes of butterflies, may have much in common.
Writing in this week's edition (Jan. 22) of the journal Science,
scientists from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison describe a genetic trick that
helps explain the staggering diversity of patterning and color
exhibited on butterfly wings.
The same trick, the scientists suggest, is widely used among
animals and may be one of the underlying mechanisms that
helps explain how new morphological characteristics -- from
teeth and tortoise shells to fur and feathers -- arise through the
course of evolution.
.... In the big scheme of animal evolution, according to Keys,
a graduate student in Carroll's lab, the decoration of a butterfly's
wing is a much more recent invention than the building of the
wing itself: "Evolution, somewhere along the line, took this
system and came up with a way to reuse it in an entirely new
context while maintaining its original function."
"To our thinking, the reuse of genes makes innovation easier,"
said Carroll, a biologist whose work has helped resolve the
role genes play in making such things as arms, legs and wings .
"Evolution," he said, "is working by integrating sets of things
it already has. You're using a circuit over and over again."
How butterflies co-opt existing genetic programs to create
eyespot patterns that help them fool predators, said Carroll,
may in fact be a general mechanism animals use to create
"luxury items -- teeth, antlers, shells, hair, coloration -- in the
course of evolution."
"The invention of these novelties is an important facet of animal
evolution," said Lewis, a UW-Madison post-doctoral fellow.
"They impact hugely the lifestyles of the organisms."
Moreover, according to Carroll, since these luxuries are genetic-
ally wired to a specific developmental output, they can be further
tinkered with at the genetic level to create new variants.
Think, for example, of the enormous diversity of pattern and
color in butterflies, or the array of antlers sported by different
members of the deer family such as elk and moose.
"Once you make a new connection, it can independently evolve"
through the interplay of development and genetic change, Carroll
said. "Evolution can muck with that by changing things in the
circuit. At the ends of these (genetic) pathways, the output can
be very different."
"One of the amazing things about butterflies is that these genetic
programs result in a tremendous variety of color patterns, not
structures," said Lewis.
"Few would have guessed," said Keys, "that those beautiful
color patterns evolved from the same genetic processes which
all insects use to shape their wings."
- - -
Evolution Seems To Have Speed Limits, Microbial Study Shows
Date: Posted 1/19/1999
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/01/990119080707.htm
Excerpt: "Some of the world's most notorious disease-causing
organisms are ones that evolve quickly to cope with their envir-
onment. Now, a team of MSU scientists has learned about what
controls the speed of evolutionary adaptation.
.... "People find it intrinsically interesting to watch evolution in
action," Lenski said. "And there is special interest in understanding
the evolution of disease-causing organisms."
.... For an organism to adapt, it needs two processes: mutation
and natural selection.
Mutation is a random change in the organism's genetic structure.
Most mutants are harmful and don't survive.
Occasionally, however, a mutation brings a useful change.
Natural selection is the process that amplifies the useful mutations.
If the mutations are useful, they survive and multiply. ..."
- - -
Evolution Re-Sculpted Animal Limbs By Genetic
Switches Once Thought Too Drastic For Survival
Date: Posted 8/18/1997
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1997/08/970818053017.htm
Excerpt: "Extremely powerful genes that govern the shape of
an embryo from the earliest stages of development have been
tinkered with by nature over the course of evolution to create
the enormously wide range of animal forms ...
Homeotic, or Hox genes specify the identity of segments along
the embryo's body axis and regulate the formation of major
structures in every animal studied.
.... changes in the pattern of activity of two Hox genes in crusta-
ceans are linked to the relatively sudden evolutionary develop-
ment of useful, distinctive feeding limbs called maxillipeds
(literally jaw-feet) where swimming or walking legs once were."
- - -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dan Fake, Pro-Humanist #1, FREELOVER #1,
who cares deeply about truth, freedom, and maxing
out this one and only experience we all know and
share, on this earth, at this time, in this life.
http://home.att.net/~danfake/prohumanism.htm
http://home.att.net/~danfake/freelover.htm
FREELOVER? Freethinking Realist Exploring Expressive
Liberty, Openness, Verity, Enlightenment, & Rationality
(also, pro-love, free from state and church authorities)
Origins: http://home.att.net/~danfake/origins.htm
Top Posts: http://home.att.net/~danfake/top_posts.htm
Books: http://home.att.net/~danfake/books_index.htm
Webpedia: http://home.att.net/~danfake/webpedia.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pazuzu
cheers,
Paz
"Pazuzu" <e...@dds.nl> schreef in bericht
news:9k74gd$1vem9$1...@reader01.wxs.nl...
Derek Stevenson
> > Looking at the evolution-creation 'debate', I often get the feeling that
> > it's all a repetition of themes: evolutionists complaining that the
> > creationists are still making claims that have been rebutted years ago,
> > creationists accusing evolutionists of hiding or distorting long-known
> > facts, etcetera.
> >
> > If this impression is correct, one would expect that on both sides of
the
> > field, there have been written a few books which more or less sum up the
> > main points, and 'rebut' the other side's opinions as good as possible.
>
> Thanks for the references guys, I won't get bored this summer! ;-))
You asked from examples of books from both sides of the field that sum up
the main points and evaluate the opinions of the other side.
You'll notice that, judging by the examples given, the only such books are
produced by one side. The other side is apparently unwilling or unable to
present, let alone evaluate, the arguments offered up by their opponents.
Draw your own conclusions.
Noelie S. Alito
news:tmg7hcn...@corp.supernews.com...
Tsk, tsk, Derek, we can help them out here.
I don't know what the best *pro-creationism* work is, since so
much of it is just *anti-evolution* (or anti-most-science). What,
in the opinion of talk.origins regulars, is their best shot: Johnson's
Darwin_on_Trial, or Defeating_Darwinism_by_Opening_Minds?
Also, although Behe says he is not a creationist, creationists use
his Darwin's_Black_Box to bolster their own position.
Noelie
--
Don't always read what you believe.
FNCI
I know your reading list is large, but if you are interested in an article that
ties together the science (not that there is any), the religion and the
politics of anti-evolution, this 1997 Reason magazine article by Ronald Bailey
sums it up:
http://www.reason.com/9707/fe.bailey.html