The Evolution of Phylogenetic Systematics - (Species and Systematics) by Andrew Hamilton (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Evolution of Phylogenetic Systematics aims to make sense of the rise of phylogenetic systematics-its methods, its objects of study, and its theoretical foundations-with contributions from historians, philosophers, and biologists. This volume articulates an intellectual agenda for the study of systematics and taxonomy in a way that connects classification with larger historical themes in the biological sciences, including morphology, experimental and observational approaches, evolution, biogeography, debates over form and function, character transformation, development, and biodiversity. It aims to provide frameworks for answering the question: how did systematics become phylogenetic?

Review Quotes

"The Evolution of Phylogenetic Systematics succeeds in offering useful historical context for understanding the current state of systematics but also shows the consequences of the continued absence of a philosophically rigorous foundation with which to justify the variety of opinions regarding its operation--good fodder for the continued evolution of systematics."-- "BioScience"

"Phylogenetic Systematics has become a patchwork of attitudes, concepts, and methods, with regional traditions that can only be understood against the historical background of the impact of influential scientists. This book can help to escape intellectual endemisms, to remember what has already been discussed in the past, and to learn from errors that do not improve even when they are frequently repeated. . . . Recommend[ed] . . . to all students and reseachers interested in Phylogenetic Systematics."-- "Systematic Biology"

About the Author

Andrew Hamilton is Associate Dean in the Honors College at the University of Houston.