The evolution of new species - speciation - is a central theme in evolution. How does one species split into another? Why? How long does it take for a new species to be born? And what is a species anyway? Such is the importance of the problem that Charles Darwin himself dubbed it "the Mystery of Mysteries". These questions, the focus of intense debate in biology and critical for any assessment of biodiversity, are all tackled in the book. Schilthuizen, reputed scientist and journalist, launches into the debate with tremendous energy and wit. Using the sometimes vicious academic debates and vivid personalities of the scientists as background, he explores the meandering path of speciation research and sets it out in the clearest possible terms. The whole subject leaps to life and its significance for understanding biodiversity comes clear. This is a fascinating, galloping read that will appeal equally to the lay reader and to students getting to grips with the fundamentals of a complex subject.
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From Publishers Weekly
Perhaps the most long-standing question in evolutionary biology concerns the origin of species. What are the environmental, evolutionary, genetic, geographical, behavioral or physiological conditions necessary for a species to split into two? Schilthuizen, professor of biology at the University of Malaysia Sabah in Malaysia, does a superb job of reviewing the voluminous scientific literature on this topic, distilling it to a manageable size and presenting it in a form that is both engaging and accessible for the nonspecialist. In addition to a good deal of natural history, from descriptions of the mating behaviors of fire-bellied toads to the differences between left- and right-handled snails, Schilthuizen provides an insider's perspective on both laboratory and field experiments. He analyzes in detail the controversy over whether populations must be geographically isolated from one another for new species to be formed, and he describes, with many interesting examples, the role that sexual selectionfemales choosing specific males with whom to matemight play in the speciation process. By including case studies from a wide range of organismsplants, birds, amphibians, fish and mammalshe demonstrates the breadth and vibrancy of his ideas. Although no technical background is required to grasp Schilthuizen's ideas, there is enough substance to engage those moderately knowledgeable about evolutionary biology. Illus.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Curious about the state of affairs of the origin of species? Schilthuizen informatively surveys the ideas that churn around two basic questions: has science noticed the appearance of a new species, and if it has, how did the species arise? The answer to the former is yes, but answers to the latter, proposing mechanisms of speciation, are less emphatic. For long, the reigning theory, synthesized by Ernst Mayr as allopatric speciation, had natural selection working on geographically isolated populations. Although "king of origins" hill in the 1960s, Mayr's thought seemed incomplete to succeeding field biologists, whose observations and experiments Schilthuizen recounts in lively fashion, thanks to animal stories featuring the cave beetles of France, the apple maggots of the Hudson River valley, the cichlid fishes of Africa, and other critters. The revisionists of Mayr touted sympatric speciation, by which a new species evolves within nonisolated populations in response to several pressures, among which sexual selection ranks high. Schilthuizen's enthusiasm, clarity, and humor ought to grab anyone interested in biology and evolution. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Customer Reviews
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By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I couldn't put this book down! I was extremely impressed with this author and wish he had written a dozen books already! I learned so much from this author and would highly recommend it to both scientists and non-scientists. I can see this book being looked at 50 years from now as well, so people can see where we got our evolutionary theories of today.
Format:Hardcover
One of the most enjoyable reads on speciation. The writing style is exquisite, enriched with a touch of deadpan humor. Elucidates the major players, profound debates and current research in speciation. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in processes that generate biodiversity and students of biology. Menno Schilthuizen should write more books.
By Science Geek
Format:Hardcover
This is an extremely entertaining overview of the major theories of how new species emerge during biological evolution. Ideas from the technical literature such as allopatric speciation, sympatric speciation, and speciation through polyploidy are presented with lots of concrete examples, making the ideas very easy to digest.
The science really comes alive in this book. Interviews with the scientists in the thick of research are enough to get you cheering for them. Also, Schilthuizen dramatizes in an engaging way the disputes between advocates of different theories of speciation.
Finally, a useful glossary is provided at the end for anyone rusty on terminology from biology.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick, fun, yet informative, well-referenced, and up-to-date account of the state of the art in evolutionary biology.
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