George John Romanes

Broschiertes Buch

Darwin, and After Darwin - Volume 1

Beschreibung

George John Romanes (1848-94), evolutionary biologist, was one of the most zealous supporters of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection in the nineteenth century. He met Darwin in 1874 and became a firm friend and follower, applying Darwinian theory to his work on animal intelligence and mental evolution. Romanes was elected to the Royal Society in 1879 at the age of 31, having produced his own influential research on the evolution of the nervous system. This three-volume study of Darwin's work and its implications was first developed as a series of lectures given in Edinburgh and London between 1886 and 1890. Controversially, Romanes deviates from Darwin's assertion of the significance of geographical isolation, contending that physiological differences among the same species were central to evolutionary change. First published in 1892, Volume 1 focuses on the Darwinian theory itself. This second edition appeared in 1893.

Autor

George John Romanes FRS was a Canadian-Scottish evolutionary biologist and physiologist who pioneered comparative psychology by proposing that humans and other animals share cognitive processes and mechanisms. He was the youngest of Charles Darwin's academic friends, and his ideas about evolution are historically significant. He is regarded to originate the phrase neo-Darwinism, which in the late 19th century was seen as a theory of evolution that concentrates on natural selection as the main evolutionary force. However, Samuel Butler used this term with a similar meaning in 1880. George Romanes was born in Kingston, Canada West, in 1848, as the youngest of three boys from a wealthy and highly developed family. His father, Rev. George Romanes (1805-1871), was a Scottish Presbyterian pastor. Two years after his birth, his parents relocated to Cornwall Terrace in London, United Kingdom, paving the way for Romanes' fruitful and long-lasting association with Charles Darwin. Romanes spent time growing up in Germany and Italy, where he became fluent in both languages. His early education was erratic, taking both in public schools and at home. He developed an early interest in poetry and music, at which he excelled.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Cambridge University Press
• Seitenzahl: 484
• Erscheinungstermin: 19. September 2011
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 216mm x 140mm x 28mm
• Gewicht: 677g
• ISBN-13: 9781108038096
• ISBN-10: 1108038093
• Artikelnr.: 34448567