KotiRyhmätKeskusteluLisääAjan henki
Etsi sivustolta
Tämä sivusto käyttää evästeitä palvelujen toimittamiseen, toiminnan parantamiseen, analytiikkaan ja (jos et ole kirjautunut sisään) mainostamiseen. Käyttämällä LibraryThingiä ilmaiset, että olet lukenut ja ymmärtänyt käyttöehdot ja yksityisyydensuojakäytännöt. Sivujen ja palveluiden käytön tulee olla näiden ehtojen ja käytäntöjen mukaista.

Tulokset Google Booksista

Pikkukuvaa napsauttamalla pääset Google Booksiin.

Ladataan...

Evolution: What the Fossils Say and Why It Matters

Tekijä: Donald R. Prothero

Muut tekijät: Carl Buell (Kuvittaja)

JäseniäKirja-arvostelujaSuosituimmuussijaKeskimääräinen arvioMaininnat
313682,971 (4.36)4
Donald R. Prothero's Evolution is an entertaining and rigorous history of the transitional forms and series found in the the fossil record. Its engaging narrative of scientific discovery and well-grounded analysis has led to the book's widespread adoption in courses that teach the nature and value of fossil evidence. Evolution tackles flood geology, rock dating, neo-Darwinism, and macroevolution. It includes extensive coverage of the primordial soup, invertebrate transitions, the development of the backbone, the reign of the dinosaurs, and the transformation from chimpanzee to human. The book details the many "missing links," including some of the most recent discoveries, that flesh out the fossil timeline and the evolutionary process.In this second edition, Prothero describes new transitional fossils from various periods, vividly depicting such bizarre creatures as the Odontochelys, or the "turtle on the half shell," fossil snakes with legs, and the "Frogamander," a new example of amphibian transition. Prothero's discussion of intelligent-design arguments includes more historical examples and careful examination of the "experiments" and observations that are exploited by creationists seeking to undermine sound science education. With new perspectives, Prothero reframes creationism more as a case study in denialism and pseudoscience than as a field with its own intellectual dynamism. The first edition was hailed as the best book on the fossil evidence for evolution, and this second edition will be welcome in the libraries of scholars, teachers, and general readers who stand up for sound science.… (lisätietoja)
-
Ladataan...

Kirjaudu LibraryThingiin nähdäksesi, pidätkö tästä kirjasta vai et.

Ei tämänhetkisiä Keskustelu-viestiketjuja tästä kirjasta.

» Katso myös 4 mainintaa

Näyttää 1-5 (yhteensä 6) (seuraava | näytä kaikki)
Evolution, by vertebrate paleontologist Donald Prothero, is a mix of fairly technical overview of vertebrate evolution with polemics against creationism and intelligent design. Prothero has made something of a secondary career out of debating creationists – he learned Greek and Hebrew so he could read the Bible in the original – and is known for upstaging his opponents (he has an ongoing battle with Duane Gish) by going to their lectures, noting the slides and powerpoints they use, then setting up specific refutations in advance (Gish apparently facilitates this by seldom changing his presentation). He’s also very accomplished paleontologists, spending years in the Bighorn Basin and the storage cabinets of the American Museum of Natural History to elucidate the taxonomy of ungulate groups.


The problem I see is Prothero never really picks out a target audience. Prothero’s background at the AMNH is obvious; the museum was the forefront of cladistic taxonomy in North America. Unfortunately it also acquired an “attitude” famous in the community; any taxonomist who didn’t fully accept cladistics was treated with thinly disguised contempt. A little of that carries over into this book; for a work presumably aimed at an intelligent lay audience, Prothero doesn’t really do a good job of explaining how cladistics works. There are a couple of paragraphs on shared derived characteristics but more examples would be beneficial.


A secondary consideration is Prothero is sometimes just plain wrong (well, not up to date at least). For example his chart of animal evolution makes the myriapods the sister group of insects, while the most recent molecular data puts the crustaceans in that position. Prothero notes several times how cladistics reordered traditional phyletic taxonomy, but comes across as if he’s saying “We used to wrong but now we fixed it” rather than “science is continuously updating and refining – and much of what we think we know now will probably be refuted in the future”. Ironically Prothero points out the creationists are in the habit of describing the changes in science as a weakness rather than as strength – I had an online discussion with a YEC who kept naïvely citing examples of scientists not being able to assign an animal to a taxonomic group without realizing that was evidence for evolutionary theory, not against it.


Prothero also lets his impatience with creationists and IDers show a little too much, almost to the point of coming across as petulant rather than professional. His final chapter sees creationism as a major threat to the welfare of America, attributing the decline of American science pre-eminence to it (and with a sideways polemic against the Bush Administration and “the flunkies of the oil industry in Congress” for “foot-dragging” on climate change). There’s one final disquieting note; in his chapter on ungulate evolution – his main area of expertise – he refers readers to his book Horns, Tusks and Flippers: The Evolution of Hoofed Animals – coauthored with Robert M. Schoch. Yes, that Robert M. Schoch, the same guy who believes the Great Sphinx was built by a lost civilization. Well, Schoch is a vertebrate paleontologist, and a respected one, but if you’re going to rail against anti-science creationists who have no expertise in paleontologist you might want to be a little bit careful about getting into bed with somebody like Schoch.


Worth reading if you want an introduction to mammalian paleontology, especially ungulate paleontology. Less useful if you want to debate creationists, although the chapter on the history of Biblical fundamentalism is interesting (I didn’t know that the original fundamentalists were concerned with “higher criticism”, not with evolutionary theory). Extensive bibliography with a mix of paleontological, creationist, and creationist debunking books. Well illustrated.
( )
  setnahkt | Dec 8, 2017 |
A detailed look at the fossil record, in an attempt to answer the challenge that there are no transitional fossils, or that the fossils show a pattern other than evolution. The author avoids most of the dense jargon that could make such a book inaccessible to the lay audience it is aimed at; he explains the concepts well, and includes a great many drawings, as well as black-and-white and color photos. The focus is on the Animal kingdom; the transitional fossils in plants and other groups are not included. The book loses half a star for the assumptions it makes on religion; assuming that the creationists are "Christians" and not Christians because their theology differs from what you learned in Sunday School as a child is not legitimate; the sneer quotes suggest that the author is competent to determine what proper Christian belief is. To dismiss the creationists as though they are wrong about their Christian belief is to ignore the reality that Christianity is a multi-faceted belief system, and there appears to be no one right way of being a Christian. Other than that, a good outing. ( )
1 ääni Devil_llama | Mar 19, 2014 |
A very rare occurrence, five out of five stars.

First of all I like all the small unimportant things about it. It's a hardback, and a good quality one, with heavy paper and a lovely cover, and colour plates, and nice margins for scribbling notes, and a thorough index and bibliography (breathe). Best of all of these things it has a comprehensive further reading list at the end of every chapter. Joy.

Second and, of course, far more important than all that stuff, this guy knows his stuff, isn't afraid of saying when he doesn't know stuff, or isn't sure about stuff, and he has actually done the science stuff (ok well not all of it).

Comprehensive coverage of the politics and religion behind the creationist agenda methods and arguments and a comprehensive take down of why they are wrong. An understanding of what science is and how it works shows us that creationists are 'not even wrong' in the sense that they aren't even doing science. A brief history of the brief history of creationism (it is very modern). A tour of fossilisation, dating, 'flood geology', the grand canyon and quote mining followed by a potted history of the evolution of evolution and a list of the main kinds of evidence supporting evolution as a fact of history (aside from fossils) and a quick summary of the current understanding out how it works..

But this is just a warm up for Prothero, next he brings out the oft neglected big guns and gives us a comprehensive overview of some of the main lines of fossil evidence supporting the modern synthesis. Diagrams, photos, anecdotes and of course plenty of places to go next if you want to dig deeper.

I'm doing a couple of talks to BHA folks later in the year on creationism in the UK and I have found a few gems to work into my talk somewhere.

Wit and wisdom, hard facts and open acknowledgement of what we don't know makes him my kind of author.

Buy it. ( )
2 ääni psiloiordinary | Aug 20, 2010 |
It is the most complete book I've seen on this topic. You get a hardcover fully illustrated book that likes to be shown on your coffee table for a very reasonable price. Also looks very good on your LibraryThing list. ( )
  SkepChris | Mar 6, 2009 |
Great overview of some of the major transitional stages of evolution with some wonderful illustrations.
  tmponze | May 18, 2008 |
Näyttää 1-5 (yhteensä 6) (seuraava | näytä kaikki)
ei arvosteluja | lisää arvostelu

» Lisää muita tekijöitä

Tekijän nimiRooliTekijän tyyppiKoskeeko teosta?Tila
Donald R. Protheroensisijainen tekijäkaikki painoksetlaskettu
Buell, CarlKuvittajamuu tekijäkaikki painoksetvahvistettu
Sinun täytyy kirjautua sisään voidaksesi muokata Yhteistä tietoa
Katso lisäohjeita Common Knowledge -sivuilta (englanniksi).
Teoksen kanoninen nimi
Tiedot englanninkielisestä Yhteisestä tiedosta. Muokkaa kotoistaaksesi se omalle kielellesi.
Alkuteoksen nimi
Teoksen muut nimet
Alkuperäinen julkaisuvuosi
Henkilöt/hahmot
Tärkeät paikat
Tärkeät tapahtumat
Kirjaan liittyvät elokuvat
Epigrafi (motto tai mietelause kirjan alussa)
Tiedot englanninkielisestä Yhteisestä tiedosta. Muokkaa kotoistaaksesi se omalle kielellesi.
Sit down before a fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abysses nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.
—Thomas Henry Huxley

The Bible tells you how to go to Heaven, not how the heavens go.
—Pope John Paul II
Omistuskirjoitus
Tiedot englanninkielisestä Yhteisestä tiedosta. Muokkaa kotoistaaksesi se omalle kielellesi.
To my friends and mentors
Niles Eldredge and the late Stephen Jay Gould,
who transformed both paleontology and evolutionary biology
Ensimmäiset sanat
Tiedot englanninkielisestä Yhteisestä tiedosta. Muokkaa kotoistaaksesi se omalle kielellesi.
Foreword
Why People Do Not Accept Evolution
Michael Shermer
__________________________________
Thomas Henry Huxley proclaimed the Origen of Species to be "the most potent instrument for the extension of the realm of knowledge which has come into man's hands since Newton's Principia." Ernst Mayr, arguably the greatest evolutionary theorist since Darwin, asserted that the Origen of Species triggered the greatest paradigm shift in the history of science. The late paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould, who inherited Huxley's mantle as public intellectual, call the theory of evolution one of the half dozen most important ideas in the entire history of Western thought. The philosopher of scence Daniel Dennett call evolution the most dangerous idea in the history of science.¹
To the Reader: Is Evolution a Threat to Your Relgious Beliefs?
__________________________________
Speak to the earth and it shall teach thee.
Job 12:8
__________________________________
Many people find the topic of evolution and religion troubling and confusing. Some were raised in very strict churches that preavhed that evolution is atheistic and that to even think about the evidence of evolution is sinful. Fundamentalists have long tried to drive a wedge beween Christians and science, arguing that their interpretation of the Bible is the only one and that anyone who accepts the evidence for evolution is an atheist.
I The Nature of Science
What is Science?
__________________________________
The great tragedy of science—the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly fact.
—Thomas H. Huxley

There are many hypotheses in science which are wrong. That's perfectly all right; they're the aperture to finding out what's right. Science is a self-correcting process. To be accepted, new ideas must survive the most rigorous standards of evidence and scrutiny.
—Carl Sagan
__________________________________

Before we discuss evolution and the fossil record in detail, we must clear up a number of misconceptions about what science is—and isn't. Many people get their image of science from Hollywood stereotypes of the "mad scientist," fiendishly plotting some diabolical creation with a room full of bubbling beakers and sparkng electrical apparatus. Invariably, the plot concludes with some sort of "Frankenstein" message that it's not nice for science to mess with Mother Nature. Even the positive stereotypes are not much better, with nerdy characters like Jimmy Neutron and Poindexter (always wearing glasses and the obligatory white lab coat) using the same bubbling beakers and sparking equipment but trying to invent something new or good.
Sitaatit
Viimeiset sanat
Tiedot englanninkielisestä Yhteisestä tiedosta. Muokkaa kotoistaaksesi se omalle kielellesi.
(Napsauta nähdäksesi. Varoitus: voi sisältää juonipaljastuksia)
Erotteluhuomautus
Julkaisutoimittajat
Kirjan kehujat
Tiedot englanninkielisestä Yhteisestä tiedosta. Muokkaa kotoistaaksesi se omalle kielellesi.
Alkuteoksen kieli
Kanoninen DDC/MDS
Kanoninen LCC

Viittaukset tähän teokseen muissa lähteissä.

Englanninkielinen Wikipedia (4)

Donald R. Prothero's Evolution is an entertaining and rigorous history of the transitional forms and series found in the the fossil record. Its engaging narrative of scientific discovery and well-grounded analysis has led to the book's widespread adoption in courses that teach the nature and value of fossil evidence. Evolution tackles flood geology, rock dating, neo-Darwinism, and macroevolution. It includes extensive coverage of the primordial soup, invertebrate transitions, the development of the backbone, the reign of the dinosaurs, and the transformation from chimpanzee to human. The book details the many "missing links," including some of the most recent discoveries, that flesh out the fossil timeline and the evolutionary process.In this second edition, Prothero describes new transitional fossils from various periods, vividly depicting such bizarre creatures as the Odontochelys, or the "turtle on the half shell," fossil snakes with legs, and the "Frogamander," a new example of amphibian transition. Prothero's discussion of intelligent-design arguments includes more historical examples and careful examination of the "experiments" and observations that are exploited by creationists seeking to undermine sound science education. With new perspectives, Prothero reframes creationism more as a case study in denialism and pseudoscience than as a field with its own intellectual dynamism. The first edition was hailed as the best book on the fossil evidence for evolution, and this second edition will be welcome in the libraries of scholars, teachers, and general readers who stand up for sound science.

Kirjastojen kuvailuja ei löytynyt.

Kirjan kuvailu
Yhteenveto haiku-muodossa

Current Discussions

-

Suosituimmat kansikuvat

Pikalinkit

Arvio (tähdet)

Keskiarvo: (4.36)
0.5
1
1.5
2 2
2.5
3 3
3.5 3
4 11
4.5
5 24

Oletko sinä tämä henkilö?

Tule LibraryThing-kirjailijaksi.

 

Lisätietoja | Ota yhteyttä | LibraryThing.com | Yksityisyyden suoja / Käyttöehdot | Apua/FAQ | Blogi | Kauppa | APIs | TinyCat | Perintökirjastot | Varhaiset kirja-arvostelijat | Yleistieto | 203,217,137 kirjaa! | Yläpalkki: Aina näkyvissä