Francisco J. Ayala's Books

The Big Questions: Evolution

By: Francisco Ayala

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Easy, enlightening and mind-stretching, here are answers to the 20 biggest questions of evolution and what they tell us about life on Earth. The Big Questions series is designed to let renowned experts address the 20 most fundamental and frequently asked questions of a major branch of science or philosophy. Each 3,000-word essay simply and concisely examines a question that has eternally perplexed enquiring minds, and provides answers based on the latest research. This ambitious project is a unique distillation of humanity's best ideas. In The Big Questions: Evolution, Francisco Ayala answers the 20 key questions: What is evolution? Was Darwin right? What is natural selection? What is survival of the fittest? Is evolution a random process? What is a species? What are chromosomes, genes and DNA? How do genes build bodies? What is molecular evolution? How did life begin? What is the tree of life? Am I really a monkey? What does the fossil record tell us? What is the missing link? Is intelligence inherited? Will humans continue to evolve? Can I clone myself? Where does morality come from? Is language a uniquely human attribute? Is Creationism true?

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229

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Quercus

Published Date

ISBN 10

1623652081

ISBN 13

9781623652081

Evolution, Explanation, Ethics and Aesthetics

Towards a Philosophy of Biology

By: Francisco J. Ayala

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Evolution, Explanation, Ethics and Aesthetics

Towards a Philosophy of Biology

By: Francisco J. Ayala

Evolution, Explanation, Ethics and Aesthetics: Towards a Philosophy of Biology focuses on the dominant biological topic of evolution. It deals with the prevailing philosophical themes of how to explain the adaptation of organisms, the interplay of chance and necessity, and the recurrent topics of emergence, reductionism, and progress. In addition, the extensively treated topic of how to explain human nature as a result of natural processes and the encompassed issues of the foundations of morality and the brain-to-mind transformation is discussed. The philosophy of biology is a rapidly expanding field, not more than half a century old at most, and to a large extent is replacing the interest in the philosophy of physics that prevailed in the first two-thirds of the twentieth century. Few texts available have the benefit of being written by an eminent biologist who happens to be also a philosopher, as in this work. This book is a useful resource for seminar courses and college courses on the philosophy of biology. Researchers, academics, and students in evolutionary biology, behavior, genetics, and biodiversity will also be interested in this work, as will those in human biology and issues such as ethics, religion, and the human mind, along with professional philosophers of science and those concerned with such issues as whether evolution is compatible with religion and/or where morality comes from. - Presents the unique perspective of a distinguished biologist with extensive experience in the field who has published much about the subject in a wide variety of journals and edited volumes - Covers the philosophical issues related to evolution and biology in an approachable and readable style - Includes the most up-to-date treatment of this burgeoning, exciting field within biology - Provides the ideal guide for researchers, academics, and students in evolutionary biology, behavior, genetics, and biodiversity

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424

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Academic Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0128037318

ISBN 13

9780128037317

Processes in Human Evolution

The journey from early hominins to Neanderthals and modern humans

By: Francisco J. Ayala,Camilo J. Cela-Conde

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Processes in Human Evolution

The journey from early hominins to Neanderthals and modern humans

By: Francisco J. Ayala,Camilo J. Cela-Conde

The discoveries of the last decade have brought about a completely revised understanding of human evolution due to the recent advances in genetics, palaeontology, ecology, archaeology, geography, and climate science. Written by two leading authorities in the fields of physical anthropology and molecular evolution, Processes in Human Evolution presents a reconsidered overview of hominid evolution, synthesising data and approaches from a range of inter-disciplinary fields. The authors pay particular attention to population migrations - since these are crucial in understanding the origin and dispersion of the different genera and species in each continent - and to the emergence of the lithic cultures and their impact on the evolution of cognitive capacities. Processes in Human Evolution is intended as a primary textbook for university courses on human evolution, and may also be used as supplementary reading in advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. It is also suitable for a more general audience seeking a readable but up-to-date and inclusive treatment of human origins and evolution.

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536

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Oxford University Press

Published Date

ISBN 10

0191060453

ISBN 13

9780191060458

Human Evolution

Trails from the Past

By: Camilo J. Cela-Conde,Francisco J. Ayala

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Human Evolution

Trails from the Past

By: Camilo J. Cela-Conde,Francisco J. Ayala

This book is intended as a comprehensive overview of hominid evolution, synthesising data and approaches from physical anthropology, genetics, archaeology, psychology and philosophy. Human evolution courses are now widespread and this book has the potential to satisfy the requirements of most, particularly at the advanced undergraduate and graduate level. It is based on a translation, albeit with substantial modification, of a successful Spanish language book.

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446

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Oxford University Press, USA

Published Date

ISBN 10

0198567804

ISBN 13

9780198567806

Genetics, Development, and Evolution

17th Stadler Genetics Symposium

By: J. Perry Gustafson,G. Ledyard Stebbins,Francisco J. Ayala

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Genetics, Development, and Evolution

17th Stadler Genetics Symposium

By: J. Perry Gustafson,G. Ledyard Stebbins,Francisco J. Ayala

One outstanding question in biology is the problem of devel opment: how the genetic instructions encoded in the DNA become expressed in the morphological, physiological, and behavioral features of multicellular organisms, through an ordered sequence of events that extend from the first cell division of the zygote to the adult stage and eventual death. The problem is how a one dimensional array of instructions is transformed into a four dimensional entity, the organism that exists in space and time. Understanding this transformation is, nevertheless, necessary for mastering the process of evolution. One hundred and twenty-five years after The Origin of Species, we have gained some understanding of evolution at the genetic level. Genetic information is stored in the linear sequence of nucleotides in the DNA. Gene mutations, chromosomal reorganiza tions, and a host of related processes introduce variation in the sequence and the amount of DNA. The fate of these variations is determined by interactions within the genome and with the outside environment that are largely understood. We have recently gained a glimpse of how the genome of eukaryotes is organized and will learn much more about it in the future, now that we have the research tools for it.

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363

Publisher

Springer Science & Business Media

Published Date

ISBN 10

1468451375

ISBN 13

9781468451375

Evolution, Explanation, Ethics and Aesthetics

Towards a Philosophy of Biology

By: Francisco J. Ayala

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Evolution, Explanation, Ethics and Aesthetics

Towards a Philosophy of Biology

By: Francisco J. Ayala

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424

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Academic Press

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ISBN 10

0128037318

ISBN 13

9780128037317

Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion

By: Francisco J. Ayala

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Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion

By: Francisco J. Ayala

With the publication in 1859 of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Charles Darwin established evolution by common descent as the dominant scientific explanation for nature's diversity. This was to be his gift to science and society; at last, we had an explanation for how life came to be on Earth. Scientists agree that the evolutionary origin of animals and plants is a scientific conclusion beyond reasonable doubt. They place it beside such established concepts as the roundness of the earth, its revolution around the sun, and the molecular composition of matter. That evolution has occurred, in other words, is a fact. Yet as we approach the bicentennial celebration of Darwin's birth, the world finds itself divided over the truth of evolutionary theory. Consistently endorsed as "good science" by experts and overwhelmingly accepted as fact by the scientific community, it is not always accepted by the public, and our schools continue to be battlegrounds for this conflict. From the Tennessee trial of a biology teacher who dared to teach Darwin's theory to his students in 1925 to Tammy Kitzmiller's 2005 battle to keep intelligent design out of the Dover district schools in Pennsylvania, it's clear that we need to cut through the propaganda to quell the cacophony of raging debate. With the publication of Darwin's Gift, a voice at once fresh and familiar brings a rational, measured perspective to the science of evolution. An acclaimed evolutionary biologist with a background in theology, Francisco Ayala offers clear explanations of the science, reviews the history that led us to ratify Darwin's theories, and ultimately provides a clear path for a confused and conflicted public.

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