 |  Introduction to Biological Evolution, 2/e Kenneth Kardong,
Washington State University---Pullman
New to this EditionI have retained my approach to evolutionary biology
described earlier, but incorporated welcome suggestions
by reviewers and students.
- Organization. Major sections (e.g., hot- and coldblooded
dinosaurs) have been redeployed to chapters
where they more logically fit and enhance the
theme of that chapter.
- Revisions. Although all chapters were revised for
currency, special effort was made to update chapters
of central importance (e.g., Selection) or special
interest (e.g., chapters on hominid evolution).
- New Material. A short section on population genetics
has been added (chapter 3), as well as sections
on “What Is life?” (chapter 4), “Darwin’s”
pigeons (chapter 7), ring species (chapter 9), and
on cultural and social evolution in hominids (chapters
14 and 15).
- Relevancy. As epidemics or their possible arrival
become an ever larger part of daily news, chapter
16 (Evolutionary Biology: Today and Beyond)
becomes an even more useful capstone to the study
of evolution. To this I have added an Afterword
(chapter 17) to also note the natural history of possible
disease. In this last chapter, I also critique the
subject of “intelligent design,” which has a long
ancestry without scientific utility, leaving it today
as a vestigial, but much discussed, philosophy.
- Illustrations. Many figures have been replaced
throughout, and many new ones added.
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2008 McGraw-Hill Higher Education