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kasualobserver's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent thesis book on evolutionary biology, investigating whether evolution is deterministic. As rate it almost as high as "The beak of the finch".
Crammed with data, along with an excellent exploration of the last 30 years of research up to 2014. Highly recommended to anyone with a factual interest in recent evolutionary biology.
Crammed with data, along with an excellent exploration of the last 30 years of research up to 2014. Highly recommended to anyone with a factual interest in recent evolutionary biology.
shawnwhy's review against another edition
5.0
this is a really realyl fun book about convergent evolution. by taking us through a series of experiments( lizards, Ecoli, Fish) he takes on teh quite fast process of gradual evolution.
pedrocintra52's review against another edition
5.0
Simply amazing! The author writes in a light and funny way. I can definetly say that I did laught a lot while reading it, and at the same time I was learning something new. I felt like the author was having a friendly chat with me about the subject.
The book is divided in 3 main parts, the first one introduces the concept of convergent evolution and discusses what excatly it is and how we define it. The second goes through lots of examples of convergence and divergence in nature, examples that are usually cited as evidence both by those in favor and against the idea of convergence evolution. The third part is my favorite, it is dedicated to experiments in evolution (including the author himself). I would seriously recommend it to anyone who enjoys the topic of evolution or ecology. For those that are not really into evolution, I recommend it as well because you will probably find out you like this topic.
The book is divided in 3 main parts, the first one introduces the concept of convergent evolution and discusses what excatly it is and how we define it. The second goes through lots of examples of convergence and divergence in nature, examples that are usually cited as evidence both by those in favor and against the idea of convergence evolution. The third part is my favorite, it is dedicated to experiments in evolution (including the author himself). I would seriously recommend it to anyone who enjoys the topic of evolution or ecology. For those that are not really into evolution, I recommend it as well because you will probably find out you like this topic.
alexandramrtin's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
loved it. super informative, and it was really well written. only thing im dedufting 0.5 for is that some sections were really drawn out
noca_74's review against another edition
5.0
Probably the best book on evolution for lay readers I've read. As a wildlife ecologist I naturally found the chapters on field studies more engaging than those on lab studies but that's due to personal preference and nothing more. The entire book is clearly written and provides a thorough overview of the current state of evolutionary research, and does a fantastic job showing how scientists work (ie, ask questions about observed patterns, devise hypotheses and design experiments to test those questions, and interpret and report results). Highly recommended for all fellow biologists and non-scientists interested in how evolutionary research works.
smokeyshouse's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Clarified for me the debate between contingent and convergent evolution...and how expectations about what alien life might be like is determined by concepts from the convergent camp. Engaging, crisp pacing.
maricasement's review against another edition
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
Losos writes in an informative and easy-to-read style, which makes the book enlightening and enjoyable.
The book is about evolution and whether it is convergent or divergent. He presents examples and arguments that might push you one way or the other, but eventually concludes thatConway Morris is a twat. Ok, jokes aside, he argues that, even though some species have convergent traits (there's a whole discussion about what that even means), if we replayed the tape of life, there is no knowing what species would turn up and how they would adapt to their
environments. How we adapt has a lot to do with our genetic predispositions (how our ancestors adapted before us) and the chance of some mutation occurring. So no, Conway Morris, humans would probably not evolve again, thank you very much.
The only thing I have to complain about is the pacing at the end of the second part. In this part, Losos is talking about different evolution experiments performed in the wild and their different conclusions. It is extremely interesting (makes we want to be an experimental ecologist or smth), but at the end it becomes a bit repetitive. Though when you manage to finish the second part and start the third one, things flow quite smoothly again.
This book has got me even more interested in evolution and it's experimental side, and I'd suggest it to everyone who finds even our own existence something interesting.
The book is about evolution and whether it is convergent or divergent. He presents examples and arguments that might push you one way or the other, but eventually concludes that
environments. How we adapt has a lot to do with our genetic predispositions (how our ancestors adapted before us) and the chance of some mutation occurring. So no, Conway Morris, humans would probably not evolve again, thank you very much.
The only thing I have to complain about is the pacing at the end of the second part. In this part, Losos is talking about different evolution experiments performed in the wild and their different conclusions. It is extremely interesting (makes we want to be an experimental ecologist or smth), but at the end it becomes a bit repetitive. Though when you manage to finish the second part and start the third one, things flow quite smoothly again.
This book has got me even more interested in evolution and it's experimental side, and I'd suggest it to everyone who finds even our own existence something interesting.
davidr's review against another edition
5.0
I love books about science that are written by scientists in the field, especially when they can write well. This means that not only are their books informative--that is the bare minimum--but they also have a fun attitude, and they put the reader into the story of their investigations. Well, this book by Jonathan Losos does exactly that. While he gives the reader all the background story of what other scientists have done, he also conveys all the starts and stops and challenges that he faced while doing his own research. And, what a lot of challenges he faced! Losos writes some wonderful anecdotes about the dangers of being a scientist working in jungles. On Trinidad, he writes about snakes, booby traps, dangerous rocks, army ants, and even being attacked simultaneously by snakes and army ants!
The major theme of this book is the controversy about how predictable is evolution? To what extent is it convergent--meaning that regardless of the circumstances, species will tend to evolve along a certain, deterministic path--or divergent, meaning that slight changes in the environment will cause a species to evolve into some different, essentially unpredictable path. Much of the controversy began with the publication of [b:Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History|36475|Wonderful Life The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History|Stephen Jay Gould|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480836482l/36475._SY75_.jpg|55914] by Stephen Jay Gould. Gould argued that evolution does not necessarily proceed at a slow, gradual pace. Sudden environmental changes can evoke rapid sprints in evolution.
There are lots of examples of convergent evolution. Porcupines in Africa and Asia look similar, though they evolved independently from their common ancestor. Humans on different continents evolved their abilities to be lactose-tolerant evolved independently and differently on different continents, as well as their light-colored skins in northern latitudes. Many species of animals that evolve on islands all develop into miniature versions of their continental cousins. The smaller the island, the smaller the surface area-to-volume ratio becomes.
Losos writes of his own research on very small islands, where he studies the rapid evolution of lizards in response to sudden importations of predators. Significant evolution can take place in just a few years. Proving this, though, can be difficult when hurricanes can overnight wipe out the entire lizard population of an island!
Losos writes about some very interesting research with a benign form of E-coli. The bacteria were cleverly followed over tens of thousands of generations, to find that a rare sequence of mutations can lead to a totally new type of metabolism!
A major point in the book is that "Species that are initially different will not take the same evolutionary route in response to similar selective pressures." If the dinosaurs had survived, it's not obvious that their descendants today would be similar to us. It is more probable for evolution to have developed an intelligent being that looks like a super-sized brainy chicken. On the other hand, species frequently evolve similar features in response to similar environmental conditions. The main lesson from the book is that "Evolution is not random or haphazard."
This is an excellent book, engaging and informative. There is not a lot of jargon--you don't have to be a scientist to follow along. The study of evolutionary biology is now speeding along, because of the great advances in analyzing DNA. It's fun to go along for the ride!
The major theme of this book is the controversy about how predictable is evolution? To what extent is it convergent--meaning that regardless of the circumstances, species will tend to evolve along a certain, deterministic path--or divergent, meaning that slight changes in the environment will cause a species to evolve into some different, essentially unpredictable path. Much of the controversy began with the publication of [b:Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History|36475|Wonderful Life The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History|Stephen Jay Gould|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1480836482l/36475._SY75_.jpg|55914] by Stephen Jay Gould. Gould argued that evolution does not necessarily proceed at a slow, gradual pace. Sudden environmental changes can evoke rapid sprints in evolution.
There are lots of examples of convergent evolution. Porcupines in Africa and Asia look similar, though they evolved independently from their common ancestor. Humans on different continents evolved their abilities to be lactose-tolerant evolved independently and differently on different continents, as well as their light-colored skins in northern latitudes. Many species of animals that evolve on islands all develop into miniature versions of their continental cousins. The smaller the island, the smaller the surface area-to-volume ratio becomes.
Losos writes of his own research on very small islands, where he studies the rapid evolution of lizards in response to sudden importations of predators. Significant evolution can take place in just a few years. Proving this, though, can be difficult when hurricanes can overnight wipe out the entire lizard population of an island!
Losos writes about some very interesting research with a benign form of E-coli. The bacteria were cleverly followed over tens of thousands of generations, to find that a rare sequence of mutations can lead to a totally new type of metabolism!
A major point in the book is that "Species that are initially different will not take the same evolutionary route in response to similar selective pressures." If the dinosaurs had survived, it's not obvious that their descendants today would be similar to us. It is more probable for evolution to have developed an intelligent being that looks like a super-sized brainy chicken. On the other hand, species frequently evolve similar features in response to similar environmental conditions. The main lesson from the book is that "Evolution is not random or haphazard."
This is an excellent book, engaging and informative. There is not a lot of jargon--you don't have to be a scientist to follow along. The study of evolutionary biology is now speeding along, because of the great advances in analyzing DNA. It's fun to go along for the ride!