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E-book
Author Jenner, Ronald A., author.

Title Ancestors in evolutionary biology : linear thinking about branching trees / Ronald A. Jenner, Natural History Museum, London
Edition First edition
Published Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2022
©2022

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Description 1 online resource (ix, 385 pages) : illustrations
Series The Systematics Association special volume series ; 91
Systematics Association special volume ; no. 91.
Contents 1. A history of narrative phylogenetics; 2. From archetypes to ancestors; 3. The emergence of lineage thinking; 4. Ernst Haeckel's evolutionary storytelling; 5. The epistemic rise of hypothetical ancestors; 6. Intuiting evolution; 7. Telling straight stories with fossils; 8. Seeing animal ancestors in embryos; 9. Ancestral attractions and phylogenetic folklore; 10. Narrative shortcuts and phylogenetic faux pas; 11. Taxic distortions of lineage thinking; 12. Making sense with stories
Summary "Phylogenetics emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as a speculative storytelling discipline dedicated to providing narrative explanations for the evolution of taxa and their traits. It coincided with lineage thinking, a process that mentally traces character evolution along lineages of hypothetical ancestors. Ancestors in Evolutionary Biology traces the history of narrative phylogenetics and lineage thinking to the present day, drawing on perspectives from the history of science, philosophy of science, and contemporary scientific debates. It shows how the power of phylogenetic hypotheses to explain evolution resides in the precursor traits of hypothetical ancestors. This book provides a comprehensive exploration of the topic of ancestors, which is central to modern biology, and is therefore of interest to graduate students, researchers, and academics in evolutionary biology, palaeontology, philosophy of science, and the history of science"-- Provided by publisher
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references and index
Notes Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on July 19, 2022)
Subject Phylogeny.
Evolution (Biology)
Phylogeny
Evolution (Biology)
Phylogeny
Form Electronic book
LC no. 2022000802
ISBN 9781316226667
1316226662