TY - BOOK A2 - Francisco J. Ayala TI - Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion SN - DO - 10.17226/11732 PY - 2007 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11732/darwins-gift-to-science-and-religion PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Explore Science AB - 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. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Sciences A2 - John C. Avise A2 - Francisco J. Ayala TI - In the Light of Evolution: Volume IV: The Human Condition SN - DO - 10.17226/12931 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12931/in-the-light-of-evolution-volume-iv-the-human-condition PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - The Human Condition is a collection of papers by leading evolutionary biologists and philosophers of science that reflect on the Darwinian Revolution as it relates to the human condition at levels ranging from the molecular to the theological. The book focuses on understanding the evolutionary origin of humans and their biological and cultural traits. The Human Condition is organized into three parts: Human Phylogenetic History and the Paleontological Record; Structure and Function of the Human Genome; and Cultural Evolution and the Uniqueness of Being Human. This fourth volume from the In the Light of Evolution (ILE) series, based on a series of Arthur M. Sackler colloquia, was designed to promote the evolutionary sciences. Each volume explores evolutionary perspectives on a particular biological topic that is scientifically intriguing but also has special relevance to contemporary societal issues or challenges. Individually and collectively, the ILE series interprets phenomena in various areas of biology through the lens of evolution, addresses some of the most intellectually engaging as well as pragmatically important societal issues of our times, and fosters a greater appreciation of evolutionary biology as a consolidating foundation for the life sciences. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Sciences A2 - John C. Avise A2 - Francisco J. Ayala TI - In the Light of Evolution: Volume III: Two Centuries of Darwin SN - DO - 10.17226/12692 PY - 2009 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12692/in-the-light-of-evolution-volume-iii-two-centuries-of PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences KW - Explore Science AB - Two Centuries of Darwin is the outgrowth of an Arthur M. Sackler Colloquium, sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences on January 16-17, 2009. In the chapters of this book, leading evolutionary biologists and science historians reflect on and commemorate the Darwinian Revolution. They canvass modern research approaches and current scientific thought on each of the three main categories of selection (natural, artificial, and sexual) that Darwin addressed during his career. Although Darwin's legacy is associated primarily with the illumination of natural selection in The Origin, he also contemplated and wrote extensively about what we now term artificial selection and sexual selection. In a concluding section of this book, several science historians comment on Darwin's seminal contributions. Two Centuries of Darwin is the third book of the In the Light of Evolution series. Each installment in the series explores evolutionary perspectives on a particular biological topic that is scientifically intriguing but also has special relevance to contemporary societal issues or challenges. The ILE series aims to interpret phenomena in various areas of biology through the lens of evolution and address some of the most intellectually engaging, as well as pragmatically important societal issues of our times. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Sciences A2 - John C. Avise A2 - Stephen P. Hubbell A2 - Francisco J. Ayala TI - In the Light of Evolution: Volume II: Biodiversity and Extinction SN - DO - 10.17226/12501 PY - 2008 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12501/in-the-light-of-evolution-volume-ii-biodiversity-and-extinction PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Biology and Life Sciences AB - The current extinction crisis is of human making, and any favorable resolution of that biodiversity crisis--among the most dire in the 4-billion-year history of Earth--will have to be initiated by mankind. Little time remains for the public, corporations, and governments to awaken to the magnitude of what is at stake. This book aims to assist that critical educational mission, synthesizing recent scientific information and ideas about threats to biodiversity in the past, present, and projected future. This is the second volume from the In the Light of Evolution series, based on a series of Arthur M. Sackler colloquia, and designed to promote the evolutionary sciences. Each installment explores evolutionary perspectives on a particular biological topic that is scientifically intriguing but also has special relevance to contemporary societal issues or challenges. Individually and collectively, the ILE series aims to interpret phenomena in various areas of biology through the lens of evolution, address some of the most intellectually engaging as well as pragmatically important societal issues of our times, and foster a greater appreciation of evolutionary biology as a consolidating foundation for the life sciences. ER -