Category Archives: Species and systematics

by | May 1, 2012

Carnival of Evolution 47: All the Evolution News that’s Fit to Blog

Welcome to the 47th edition of the Carnival of Evolution. We have had our science reporters out in force hunting down the best of the blogosphere on evolution and related subjects, and here they are for your delectation and delight … Continue reading →

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Filed under Ecology and Biodiversity, Evolution, Genetics, History, Natural Classification, Species and systematics, Systematics

by | April 7, 2012

The Knight’s Song, or What is a [scientific] theory?

“Or else it doesn’t, you know. The name of the song is called ‘Haddocks’ Eyes.’” “Oh, that’s the name of the song, is it?” Alice said, trying to feel interested. “No, you don’t understand,” the Knight said, looking a little … Continue reading →

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Filed under Biology, Creationism and Intelligent Design, Ecology and Biodiversity, Epistemology, General Science, Metaphysics, Natural Classification, Philosophy, Science, Sermon, Species and systematics, Systematics

by | April 4, 2012

Book proposal call

I’m on the editorial board of the Species and Systematics series at the University of California Press, and so if any of you have a proposal for that series, on any topic relating to these two areas that is academic … Continue reading →

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Filed under Book, Species and systematics

by | March 30, 2012

Bayes, evolutionary clocks, and biogeography

I just received a review by Gareth Nelson of Michael Heads’ book Molecular Panbiogeography of the Tropics (publishers’ site). I should have blogged this before, since I got a copy, being on the editorial board for this series (the same one … Continue reading →

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Filed under Epistemology, Evolution, Natural Classification, Philosophy, Science, Species and systematics, Systematics

by | March 19, 2012

Are humans, apes, monkeys, primates, or hominoids?

I suspect the correct literary answer is that we are Yahoos, but here I want to do what I would ordinarily never dare do: disagree with John Hawks. John takes Jerry Coyne to task for calling humans “apes”: Humans are hominoids. … Continue reading →

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Filed under Epistemology, Natural Classification, Species and systematics, Systematics

by | February 7, 2012

Did Popper and Quine invent “Aristotelian essentialism”?

There are many narratives told about evolution. One of the most widely told is the Essentialism Story, replayed in textbook, popular storytelling and philosophy alike. It goes like this: Before Darwin, biologists were constrained by essentialist thinking, in which they … Continue reading →

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Filed under Biology, Evolution, History, Logic and philosophy, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Science, Species and systematics, Species concept, Systematics

by | January 15, 2012

Notes on Novelty 8: Conclusion – Post evo-devo

Notes on Novelty series: 1. Introduction 2. Historical considerations – before and after evolution 3: The meaning of evolutionary novelty 4: Examples – the beetle’s horns and the turtle’s shell 5: Evolutionary radiations and individuation 6: Levels of description 7: Surprise! 8: Conclusion – Post evo-devo … Continue reading →

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Filed under Epistemology, Evolution, General Science, Logic and philosophy, Metaphysics, Natural Classification, Philosophy, Science, Species and systematics, Truisms

by | December 31, 2011

Notes on novelty 5: Evolutionary radiations and individuation

Notes on Novelty series: 1. Introduction 2. Historical considerations – before and after evolution 3: The meaning of evolutionary novelty 4: Examples – the beetle’s horns and the turtle’s shell 5: Evolutionary radiations and individuation 6: Levels of description 7: Surprise! 8: Conclusion – Post evo-devo … Continue reading →

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Filed under Epistemology, Evolution, Metaphysics, Philosophy, Science, Species and systematics

by | December 29, 2011

Notes on Novelty 4: Examples – the beetle’s horns and the turtle’s shell

Notes on Novelty series: 1. Introduction 2. Historical considerations – before and after evolution 3: The meaning of evolutionary novelty 4: Examples – the beetle’s horns and the turtle’s shell 5: Evolutionary radiations and individuation 6: Levels of description 7: Surprise! 8: Conclusion – Post evo-devo … Continue reading →

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Filed under Evolution, Natural Classification, Philosophy, Science, Species and systematics, Systematics

by | December 21, 2011

Mill on species and Kinds

… every Kind (and a species must be a Kind) is distinguished from other Kinds, not by any one attribute, but by an indefinite number. Man, for instance, is a species of the genus animal: Rational (or rationality, for it … Continue reading →

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Filed under Quotes, Species and systematics