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Loading... Creatures of Accident: The Rise of the Animal Kingdomby Wallace Arthur
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The most important aspect of evolution, from a philosophical viewpoint, is the rise of complex, advanced creatures from simple, primitive ones. This "vertical" dimension of evolution has been downplayed, in large part because it was in the past associated with unsavory political views. This avoidance has, however, left evolutionary biology open to the perception that it deals merely with the diversification of similar creatures, all at the same level of "advancedness," from a common ancestor--for example, the classic case studies of finches with different beaks. The latest incarnation of creationism, dubbed Intelligent Design (or ID), has taken advantage of this. It portrays an evolutionary process that is guided--especially in its upward direction--by the hand of an unseen Creator, to ensure that it ends up producing humans. This book builds a persuasive picture of how "unaided" evolution produces advanced creatures from simple ones by an essentially accidental process.--From publisher description. No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)591.3Natural sciences and mathematics Zoology Specific topics in natural history of animals Genetics, evolution, developmentLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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This book promised to be about (IMHO) THE big question
in biology, namely the how the radiation of animal phyla occurred.
Instead it was a very rambling and unfocussed discussion of various issues related to how animals become more complex with time.
It had a few interesting insights, but the lack of structure made me feel it wasted my time. ( )