Macroevolution: Diversity, Disparity, Contingency: Essays in Honor of Stephen Jay Gould

Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002) was one of the most prominent scientists of recent decades a man whose expertise ranged from paleontology to evolutionary theory and the history of science. He was an unabashedly popular figure attracting standing-room-only audiences to his lectures at Harvard and around the world. In his monthly Natural History columns and innumerable articles and books Gould made evolution interesting in a way that hardly anyonesince the time of Darwin and Huxleyhad been able to do. In Macroevolution major themes of Goulds work are reassessed in light of new research by his contemporaries. The book includes original essays by such noted scholars as Niles Eldredge Richard Fortey and Lynn Margulis on heterochrony disparity and macroevolution stasis and the dynamics of evolutionary change and mass extinctions. Fourteen essays provide an expansive overview of contemporary evolutionary theory. Macroevolution is a unique tribute to Gould that will be a valuable educational resource for students teachers and anyone interested in the work of this scientific provocateur.