Synopses & Reviews
Charles Darwin's experiences in the Galápagos Islands in 1835 helped to guide his thoughts toward a revolutionary theory: that species were not fixed but diversified from their ancestors over many generations, and that the driving mechanism of evolutionary change was natural selection. In this concise, accessible book, Peter and Rosemary Grant explain what we have learned about the origin and evolution of new species through the study of the finches made famous by that great scientist: Darwin's finches.
Drawing upon their unique observations of finch evolution over a thirty-four-year period, the Grants trace the evolutionary history of fourteen different species from a shared ancestor three million years ago. They show how repeated cycles of speciation involved adaptive change through natural selection on beak size and shape, and divergence in songs. They explain other factors that drive finch evolution, including geographical isolation, which has kept the Galápagos relatively free of competitors and predators; climate change and an increase in the number of islands over the last three million years, which enhanced opportunities for speciation; and flexibility in the early learning of feeding skills, which helped species to exploit new food resources. Throughout, the Grants show how the laboratory tools of developmental biology and molecular genetics can be combined with observations and experiments on birds in the field to gain deeper insights into why the world is so biologically rich and diverse.
Written by two preeminent evolutionary biologists, How and Why Species Multiply helps to answer fundamental questions about evolution--in the Galápagos and throughout the world.
Review
One of the most compelling documentations of the operation of natural selection. In this book, the Grants aim to capture the key insights provided by Darwin's finches into mechanisms of adaptation and speciation generally. They succeed in making a complex topic accessible without losing the excitement inherent in tackling a difficult problem. There is enough depth to stimulate serious students of evolutionary biology, enough explanation for general readers and an approachable style that will please both. -- Roger Butlin, Times Higher Education This Princeton-based couple presents their own accessible summary of their life's research in How and Why Species Multiply. The authors explain the scientific hypotheses involved...with admirable clarity...yet the book's real strength is not theory but data. The Grants' account makes exciting and lucid reading. Among those who should take note are doubters of 'old-fashioned' research methods who marvel at the prospects of genomics in the lab and wonder what use bird bands have in modern science. -- Hanna Kokko, Science Distilled into 200 pages, this is the life's work of two of evolutionary biology's greatest advocates, Peter and Rosemary Grant. In this book they meld insights from geography, behaviour, ecology and genetics to paint a complex but compelling picture of the evolutionary process. [A] must-have primer for any biology student. -- Henry Nicholls, New Scientist The authors' assertion that 'speciation is a process and not an event,' comes across clearly in this concise and accessible tale of 3 million years of finch evolution. -- Science News The book illustrates how laboratory work, particularly in developmental biology and molecular genetics, can be combined effectively with observations and experimental work in the field. -- S. Schwartz, emeritus, CUNY College of Staten Island, for "CHOICE This book presents a succinct and most readable summary of one of the most important contemporary field experiments in evolution and adaptive radiation. It should be basic reading for any biologist. -- Ghillean Prance, Biologist [T]he book is authoritative, well prepared and edited . . . and attractive. The Grants have provide and excellent third part for the Darwin's finch trilogy, and this volume should serve admirably as a summary of the knowledge that they have accumulated. -- A. Townsend Peterson, Quarterly Review of Biology How and Why Species Multiply is so impressive and such a stimulating read for two primary reasons, the first being the data presented throughout the work. Rarely do we have such detailed data on any natural system and the book draws great strength from this. The second reason is the commanding role given to ecological interactions in explaining the evolutionary dynamics of Darwin's finches. -- Utku Perktas, Ibis The book is valuable as a condensed version of the huge amount of fine work the authors have done on the finches. It should be accessible to scientists and informed lay audiences alike. The theory and ecological aspects are very compelling. -- Robert M. Zink, Bioscience
Review
"One of the most compelling documentations of the operation of natural selection. In this book, the Grants aim to capture the key insights provided by Darwin's finches into mechanisms of adaptation and speciation generally. They succeed in making a complex topic accessible without losing the excitement inherent in tackling a difficult problem. There is enough depth to stimulate serious students of evolutionary biology, enough explanation for general readers and an approachable style that will please both."--Roger Butlin, Times Higher Education
Review
"This Princeton-based couple presents their own accessible summary of their life's research in How and Why Species Multiply. The authors explain the scientific hypotheses involved...with admirable clarity...yet the book's real strength is not theory but data. The Grants' account makes exciting and lucid reading. Among those who should take note are doubters of 'old-fashioned' research methods who marvel at the prospects of genomics in the lab and wonder what use bird bands have in modern science."--Hanna Kokko, Science
Review
"Distilled into 200 pages, this is the life's work of two of evolutionary biology's greatest advocates, Peter and Rosemary Grant. In this book they meld insights from geography, behaviour, ecology and genetics to paint a complex but compelling picture of the evolutionary process. [A] must-have primer for any biology student."--Henry Nicholls, New Scientist
Review
"The authors' assertion that 'speciation is a process and not an event,' comes across clearly in this concise and accessible tale of 3 million years of finch evolution."--Science News
Review
"The book illustrates how laboratory work, particularly in developmental biology and molecular genetics, can be combined effectively with observations and experimental work in the field."--J. S. Schwartz, emeritus, CUNY College of Staten Island, for CHOICE
Review
"This book presents a succinct and most readable summary of one of the most important contemporary field experiments in evolution and adaptive radiation. It should be basic reading for any biologist."--Ghillean Prance, Biologist
Review
"[T]he book is authoritative, well prepared and edited . . . and attractive. The Grants have provide and excellent third part for the Darwin's finch trilogy, and this volume should serve admirably as a summary of the knowledge that they have accumulated."--A. Townsend Peterson, Quarterly Review of Biology
Review
"How and Why Species Multiply is so impressive and such a stimulating read for two primary reasons, the first being the data presented throughout the work. Rarely do we have such detailed data on any natural system and the book draws great strength from this. The second reason is the commanding role given to ecological interactions in explaining the evolutionary dynamics of Darwin's finches."--Utku Perktas, Ibis
Review
"The book is valuable as a condensed version of the huge amount of fine work the authors have done on the finches. It should be accessible to scientists and informed lay audiences alike. The theory and ecological aspects are very compelling."--Robert M. Zink, Bioscience
Review
The book illustrates how laboratory work, particularly in developmental biology and molecular genetics, can be combined effectively with observations and experimental work in the field. Science News
Synopsis
Charles Darwin's experiences in the Galápagos Islands in 1835 helped to guide his thoughts toward a revolutionary theory: that species were not fixed but diversified from their ancestors over many generations, and that the driving mechanism of evolutionary change was natural selection. In this concise, accessible book, Peter and Rosemary Grant explain what we have learned about the origin and evolution of new species through the study of the finches made famous by that great scientist: Darwin's finches.
Drawing upon their unique observations of finch evolution over a thirty-four-year period, the Grants trace the evolutionary history of fourteen different species from a shared ancestor three million years ago. They show how repeated cycles of speciation involved adaptive change through natural selection on beak size and shape, and divergence in songs. They explain other factors that drive finch evolution, including geographical isolation, which has kept the Galápagos relatively free of competitors and predators; climate change and an increase in the number of islands over the last three million years, which enhanced opportunities for speciation; and flexibility in the early learning of feeding skills, which helped species to exploit new food resources. Throughout, the Grants show how the laboratory tools of developmental biology and molecular genetics can be combined with observations and experiments on birds in the field to gain deeper insights into why the world is so biologically rich and diverse.
Written by two preeminent evolutionary biologists, How and Why Species Multiply helps to answer fundamental questions about evolution--in the Galápagos and throughout the world.
Synopsis
"I really enjoyed this book. It is a splendid introduction both to the finches and to radiation on islands. The authors' statement that 'Speciation is a process and not an event' should become one of the most famous quotes in evolutionary biology."
--John A. Endler, University of California, Santa Barbara"A brilliant synthesis. The authors have written a concise summary of current understanding of one of the classic case studies of evolutionary diversification, Darwin's finches of the Galápagos. I can think of no parallel to this work. This book will be an inspiration to students. The Grants' love of the subject and the research comes through clearly."--Jonathan B. Losos, Harvard University
"This is a book that summarizes decades of research on Darwin's finches and integrates it into a very accessible synthesis. What really distinguishes the book, of course, is the authority of the authors, who have lived with these birds for many years and have unparalleled familiarity with them. Readers will benefit enormously from the scholarship in this book."--David B. Wake, University of California, Berkeley
Synopsis
"I really enjoyed this book. It is a splendid introduction both to the finches and to radiation on islands. The authors' statement that 'Speciation is a process and not an event' should become one of the most famous quotes in evolutionary biology."--John A. Endler, University of California, Santa Barbara
"A brilliant synthesis. The authors have written a concise summary of current understanding of one of the classic case studies of evolutionary diversification, Darwin's finches of the Galápagos. I can think of no parallel to this work. This book will be an inspiration to students. The Grants' love of the subject and the research comes through clearly."--Jonathan B. Losos, Harvard University
"This is a book that summarizes decades of research on Darwin's finches and integrates it into a very accessible synthesis. What really distinguishes the book, of course, is the authority of the authors, who have lived with these birds for many years and have unparalleled familiarity with them. Readers will benefit enormously from the scholarship in this book."--David B. Wake, University of California, Berkeley
Synopsis
Charles Darwin's experiences in the Galápagos Islands in 1835 helped to guide his thoughts toward a revolutionary theory: that species were not fixed but diversified from their ancestors over many generations, and that the driving mechanism of evolutionary change was natural selection. In this concise, accessible book, Peter and Rosemary Grant explain what we have learned about the origin and evolution of new species through the study of the finches made famous by that great scientist: Darwin's finches.
Drawing upon their unique observations of finch evolution over a thirty-four-year period, the Grants trace the evolutionary history of fourteen different species from a shared ancestor three million years ago. They show how repeated cycles of speciation involved adaptive change through natural selection on beak size and shape, and divergence in songs. They explain other factors that drive finch evolution, including geographical isolation, which has kept the Galápagos relatively free of competitors and predators; climate change and an increase in the number of islands over the last three million years, which enhanced opportunities for speciation; and flexibility in the early learning of feeding skills, which helped species to exploit new food resources. Throughout, the Grants show how the laboratory tools of developmental biology and molecular genetics can be combined with observations and experiments on birds in the field to gain deeper insights into why the world is so biologically rich and diverse.
Written by two preeminent evolutionary biologists, How and Why Species Multiply helps to answer fundamental questions about evolution--in the Galápagos and throughout the world.
Synopsis
"I really enjoyed this book. It is a splendid introduction both to the finches and to radiation on islands. The authors' statement that 'Speciation is a process and not an event' should become one of the most famous quotes in evolutionary biology."--John A. Endler, University of California, Santa Barbara
"A brilliant synthesis. The authors have written a concise summary of current understanding of one of the classic case studies of evolutionary diversification, Darwin's finches of the Galápagos. I can think of no parallel to this work. This book will be an inspiration to students. The Grants' love of the subject and the research comes through clearly."--Jonathan B. Losos, Harvard University
"This is a book that summarizes decades of research on Darwin's finches and integrates it into a very accessible synthesis. What really distinguishes the book, of course, is the authority of the authors, who have lived with these birds for many years and have unparalleled familiarity with them. Readers will benefit enormously from the scholarship in this book."--David B. Wake, University of California, Berkeley
About the Author
Peter R. Grant and B. Rosemary Grant are professors emeriti at Princeton University. In recognition of their decades of work studying the ecology, behavior, genetics, and evolution of Darwin's finches, they were awarded the 2005 Balzan Prize and the 2009 Kyoto Prize.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations xi
List of Tables xv
Preface xvii
CHAPTER ONE: The Biodiversity Problem and Darwin's Finches 1
Biodiversity 1
The Choice of Organisms 2
Darwin's Finches 3
Diversity of Darwin's Finch Species 5
Species and Populations 8
Overview of the Book 11
CHAPTER TWO: Origins and History 13
Introduction 13
Phylogeny 14
Ancestors 16
The Time of Arrival 16
Colonization 17
The Ecological Theater 18
A Change of Scenery 21
The Evolutionary Play 22
Recent History 22
Summary 25
CHAPTER THREE: Modes of Speciation 26
The Formation of New Species 26
Two Groups from One 27
Divergence in Allopatry 28
Coexistence in Sympatry 29
Sympatric Speciation 30
Parapatric Speciation 31
Testing the Models 33
Summary 33
CHAPTER FOUR: Colonization of an Island 35
Speciation: The Initial Split 35
Establishment of a New Population 35
Founder Effects: Expectations from Theory 36
A Colonization Event 38
Inbreeding 39
Recurrent Immigration 39
An Alternative Phenology of Founder Effects 42
Conclusion 42
Species Elsewhere 44
Summary 45
CHAPTER FIVE: Natural Selection, Adaptation, and Evolution 46
Adaptation 46
Beak Sizes and Diets 47
Adaptive Evolution When the Environment Changes 50
Natural Selection 52
Evolution 54
Oscillating Directional Selection 55
Extrapolating from Short to Long Term 58
The Sources of Variation 58
How Beaks Are Formed 59
Depth and Width 59
Length 62
Summary 63
CHAPTER SIX: Ecological Interactions 65
Introduction 65
Competition 66
Patterns of Coexistence 66
Diets Inferred from Beaks 67
Interpreting the Patterns 67
Character Displacement and Release 68
Character Displacement Observed 68
The Competitive Role of G. Magnirostris 69
Selection under Contrasting Conditions 73
Evolution of Character Displacement 73
Summary 75
CHAPTER SEVEN: Reproductive Isolation 76
Pre-mating Barrier to Interbreeding 76
Factors Involved in the Discrimination
between Species 76
Beaks 77
Song 77
Learning 79
Song Differences between Species 80
Song Divergence in Allopatry 81
Adaptation to Habitat 83
Change of Songs as a Consequence of
Morphological Divergence 84
The Role of Chance 86
Simulating Secondary Contact 88
Summary 91
CHAPTER EIGHT: Hybridization 92
Introduction 92
Hybridization 92
Why Hybridization Occurs 93
When Hybridization Does Not Occur 96
Hybrid Fitness 97
Introgression on Daphne Major 100
Introgression in the Archipelago 103
Reinforcement 103
Reproductive Character Displacement 105
Evolutionary Significance of Introgression 106
Summary 107
CHAPTER NINE: Species and Speciation 108
Introduction 108
From Process to Product:What Is a Species? 109
A Working Definition 110
How Many Species of Darwin's Finches? 111
Certhidea olivacea: One Species or Two? 112
Geospiza difficilis: One Species or Three? 113
From Product Back to Process 114
Fission and Fusion 116
Summary 119
CHAPTER TEN: Reconstructing the Radiation of Darwin's Finches 120
Introduction 120
The Shape of the Radiation 121
Speciation and Extinction 123
Speciation 125
Extinction 126
Implications for Phylogeny 127
Adaptive Landscape 128
A Pattern of Ecological Segregation 133
Specialization 134
The Buildup of Complex Communities 134
Summary 135
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Facilitators of Adaptive Radiation 137
Introduction 137
Environmental Opportunity 138
Geographical Suitability 139
Ecological Opportunity 140
High Diversification Potential 142
Behavioral Flexibility 142
Introgressive Hybridization 145
Hybridization and Animal Breeding 146
Environmental Conditions Conducive to Introgression 146
Finches versus Mockingbirds 148
Summary 150
CHAPTER TWELVE: The Life History of Adaptive Radiations 152
Introduction 152
The First Stage of Adaptive Radiation 153
The Second Stage of Adaptive Radiation 154
Haldane's Rule 157
The Third Stage of Adaptive Radiation 158
Synthesis 160
Summary 162
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Summary of the Darwin's Finch Radiation 163
What Happened and Why 163
What Is Missing? 165
Epilogue 166
Glossary 168
References 175
Author Index 201
Subject Index 210