ISBN:
9783540717799
Language:
English
Pages:
Online-Ressource (online resource)
Series Statement:
SpringerLink
Series Statement:
Bücher
Parallel Title:
Druckausg. Haffer, Jürgen, 1932 - 2010 Ornithology, evolution, and philosophy
Keywords:
Science (General)
;
Life sciences
;
Animal ecology
;
Evolution (Biology)
;
Zoology
;
Science
;
Science (General)
;
Science History
;
Animal ecology
;
Evolution (Biology)
;
Zoology
;
Life sciences
;
Biografie
;
Mayr, Ernst 1904-2005
;
Mayr, Ernst 1904-2005
Abstract:
This book is the first detailed biography of Ernst Mayr. He was an architect of the Synthetic Theory of Evolution, and the greatest evolutionary biologist since Charles Darwin, influential historian and philosopher of biology, outstanding taxonomist and ornithologist, and naturalist. He is one of the most widely known biologists of the 20th century. Mayr used the theories of natural selection and population thinking as theoretical models within the framework of historical biological studies. He suggested that various competing paradigms may exist side by side and more or less pronounced revolutions may occur in different fields from time to time. Changes of concepts have a much stronger effect on the development of biological sciences than the discovery of new facts. Mayr was the first to emphasize the role of biopopulations, thereby pointing out the basic difference between population thinking and typological essentialism. Population thinking takes into consideration the uniqueness of each individual and unlimited variation of populations which may lead to the development of new species. On the other hand, typologists assume that the unchanging essence of each species determines variation and fixed limits of variation preclude speciation from occurring except through saltation.
Description / Table of Contents:
Front Matter; Introduction; Childhood and Youth; The Budding Scientist; The New York Years (1931-1953); Ornithologist and Zoogeographer; Biological Species and Speciation-Mayr's First Synthesis; Life in North America during World War II; The Harvard Years (1953-2005); Evolutionary Biology-Mayr's Second Synthesis; Ernst Mayr-the Man; Systematics and Classification; History and Philosophy of Biology-Mayr's Third Synthesis; Summary: Appreciation of ErnstMayr's Science; Back Matter
Note:
Includes bibliographical references (p. [406]-455) and index
DOI:
10.1007/978-3-540-71779-9
URL:
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