Processes of Organic Evolution

Science & Math

Stebbins, G.Ledyard

Biological Sciences

Pearson College Div

One of the world's leading evolutionary biologists here reexamines the evolutionary history of flowering plants. This important book is the first to interpret the phylogeny of flowering plants in the light of modern knowledge about genetics, developmental biology, and ecology. 
 Mr. Stebbins is concerned with the evolution of genera, families, and other higher taxa; his analysis is based upon a unified theory that identifies the same fundamental processes at work in the origin of both species and the broader taxonomic categories. He shows, however, that subspecific evolution depends primarily on the natural selection of vegetative characters, whereas the emphasis at the transspecific level is on reproductive characters. 
 Major changes in evolutionary direction are interpreted as resulting from an interaction of environmental change and the inherent capacity of the organism to alter preferentially in some ways and not in others. The author facilitates this discussion by examining reversibility in certain simple evolutionary trends. 
 After reviewing basic principles and exploring major patterns of evolution in flowering plants, Mr. Stebbins turns to their actual history. On the basis of a detailed analysis he concludes that the most primitive forms are not represented in any extant category and are not found in the fossil record. His work gives definitive weight to the researches of others who have postulated a monophyletic origin of the angiosperms from a single, extinct group. 
 Although this beautifully illustrated volume will prove indispensable to botanists, it will be of great interest also to any student of evolutionary theory, theoretical biology, and ecology.

Flowering Plants: Evolution above the Species Level

Belknap Press

Chromosomal Evolution in Higher Plants (Contemporary Biology)

Addison-Wesley

During the past decade, the central focus of evolutionary theory has undergone a radical shift. "Darwin to DNA, Molecules to Humanity" offers a synthesis of the new perspectives provided by studies in molecular biology, ecology, sociobiology and ethology. Professor Stebbins' central theme is that evolutionary change results from successful responses to challenges posed by the physical, biotic and cultural environment. Written for the nonspecialist, the book is particularly appropriate for use in evolution and related courses and is intended for anyone interested in a current account of biological and cultural evolution.

darwin to dna, molecules to humanity

WH Freeman

G. Ledyard Stebbins (1906-2000) is widely regarded as one of the most influential evolutionary biologists of the twentieth century. His opus, Variation and Evolution in Plants (1950), provided the conceptual framework for the emerging field of plant evolutionary biology. The stories Stebbins recounts here—his first plant-collecting foray at the age of four to a New England bog; his deep friendships with other major figures in twentieth-century biology, including Edgar Anderson and Ernst Mayr; his role in establishing the Department of Genetics at the University of California, Davis; and his many treks in California, the state whose landscape and flora meant so much to him—reveal a life unified by his profound regard for the natural world and by the need to understand and preserve it.

Ladyslipper and I

Biographies & Memoirs

Professionals & Academics

Missouri Botanical Garden Press

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