Evolution is unlike any other theory in science in the generality of its interest and the excellence of the authors who write about it. This anthology contains extracts from over 60 scientific papers, by authors such as Stephen Jay Gould, Richard Dawkins, Francis Crick and Jacques Monod. It starts with Charles Darwin, but concentrates on modern research, including genomics - evolution's latest gusher of scientic insights. The extracts are organized in sections, enabling the reader to sample a range of views on each topic, such as how new species arise, or the significance of adaptive design in living things. The extracts have been chosen for their readability as well as their scientific importance, making this book an enjoyable way to meet some of the greatest minds of our time, writing on the greatest idea of all time.

Table of Contents:
Introduction A. From Darwin to the Modern Synthesis Section Introduction 1: Darwin, C. (1858) Extract from an unpublished work on species 2: Darwin, C. (1858) Abstract of a letter from C. Darwin, Esq., to Prof. Asa Gray, Boston, U.S.A. 3: Maynard Smith, J. (1987) Weismann and modern biology 4: Fisher, R. A. (1930) The nature of inheritance 5: Wright, S. (1932) The roles of mutation, inbreeding, crossbreeding, and selection in evolution 6: Haldane, J. B. S. (1949) Disease and evolution B. Natural selection and random drift in populations Section Introduction 7: Kettlewell, H. B. D. (1958) A résumé of investigations of the evolution of melanism in the Lepidoptera 8: Cook, L. M.; Dennis, R. L. H.; & G. S. Mani (1999). Melanic morph frequency in the peppered moth in the Manchester area 9: Karn, M. N. & Penrose, L. S. (1951) Birth weight and gestation time in relation to infant survival 10: Ulizzi, L. & Terrenato, L. (1992) Natural selection associated with birth weight. VI. Towards the end of the stabilizing component 11: Gibbs, H. L & Grant, P. R. (1987) Oscillating selection on Darwin's finches 12: Lewontin, R. C. The paradox of variation 13: Kimura, M. Recent developments of the neutral theory C. Adaptation Section introduction 14: Fisher, R. A. (1930). The nature of adaptation 15: Williams, G. C. (1966). Adaptation and natural selection 16: Grafen, A. (1986). Adaptation versus selection in progress 17: Reeve, H. K. & Sherman, P. W. (1991). An operational, nonhistorical definition of adaptation 18: Orr, H. A. & Coyne, J. The genetics of adaptation: a reassessment 19: Cain, A. J. (1964). The perfection of animals 20: Gould, S. J. & Lewontin, R. C. (1979). The spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian paradigm: a critique of the adaptationist programme D. Speciation and biodiversity Section introduction 22: Mayr, E. Typological v population thinking 23: Mayr, E. Species concepts and their application 24: Darwin, C. (1859) The sterility of hybrids 25: Dobzhansky, T. (1970). Reproductive isolation as a product of genetic divergence and natural selection 26: Rice, W. R. & Hostert, E. E. Laboratory experiments on speciation: what have we learned in 40 years? 27: Coyne, J. H. & Orr, H. A. (2000). The evolutionary genetics of speciation 28: Schluter, D. (2000) Ecological basis of postmating isolation 29: Grant, V. Hybrid speciation E. Macroevolution Section introduction 30: Erwin, D. H. & Anstey, R. L. (1995) Speciation in the fossil record 31: De Beer, G. R. (1971). Homology: an unsolved problem 32: Dawkins, R. (1996). The ey gene 33: Dickinson, W. J. (1995) Molecules and morphology: where's the homology? 34: Haeckel, E. (1905) The fundamental law of organic evolution 35: Garstang, W. (1951) Three poems F. Evolutionary genomics Section introduction 36: Ochman, H.; Lawrence, J. G.; & Groisman, E. A. (2000). Lateral gene transfer and the nature of bacterial innovation 37: Vision, T. J.; Brown, D. G.; & Tanksley, S. D. (2000). The origins of genomic duplications in Arabidopsis 38: Humans, M. Ridley 39: Raff, R. A. (1996). Co-option of eye structures and genes 40: Benner, S. A.; Caraco, M. D.; Thomson, J. M.; & Gaucher, E. A. (2002). Planetary biology - paleontological, geological, and molecular histories of life G. The history of life Section introduction 41: 42: Schopf, J. W. (1994). Disparate rates, differing fates: tempo and mode of evolution changed from the Precambrian to the Phanerozoic 43: Cooper, A. & Fortey, R. (1998). Evolutionary explosions and the phylogenetic fuse 44: Dilcher, D. (2000). Major evolutionary trends in the angiosperm fossil record H. Case studies Section introduction 45: Medawar, P. B. (1951) An unsolved problem in biology 46: Crick , F. H. C. (1968). The origin of the genetic code 47: Maynard Smith, J. (1971) The origin and maintenance of sex 48: Janzen, D. H. (1983) A caricature of seed dispersal by animal guts 49: Nilsson, D-E. & Pelger, S. (1994). A pessimistic estimate of the time required for an eye to evolve 50: Sniegowski, P. D.; Gerrish, P. J.; Johnson, T.. & Shaver, A. (2000). The evolution of mutation rates J. Human evolution. Section introduction 51: Sarich, V. & Wilson, A. C. (1967) Immunological time scale for hominid evolution 52: King, M-C. & Wilson, A. C. (1975). Evolution at two levels in humans and chimpanzees 53: Britton, R. J. (2002). Divergence between samples of chimpanzee and human DNA sequences is 5%, counting indels 54: Muller, H. J. (1950). Our load of mutations 55: Livingstone. F. B. (1962). On the non-existence of human races 56: Krogman, W. M. (1951). The scars of human evolution 57: Pinker, S. (1994). The big bang K. Evolution and human affairs Section introduction 58: Antolin, M. F. & Herbers, J. M. (2001). Evolution's struggle for existence in America's public schools 59: Dobzhansky, T. (1973). Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution 60: Hume, D. The argument from design 61: Monod, J. (1974). On the molecular theory of evolution 62: Huxley, T. H. (1893). Evolution and ethics 63: Palumbi, S. (2001) Humans as the world's greatest evolutionary force Biographical notes Select bibliography Acknowledgements Index