Evolutionary Biology (review)

BOOK REVIEW Evolutionary Biology. By Douglas J. Futuyma. Sunderland, Mass.: Sinauer Associates , Inc., 1986. Pp. 600. $32.50. The geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky once remarked that "nothing in biology makes sense except in the light ofevolution." Evolutionary Biology by Douglas Futuyma, a revised and updated version of the 1979 edition of the same tide, is an ambitious attempt to so illuminate modern biology. Those whose specialties have kept them from following the primary literature on evolutionary biology will find much of interest in this book. It is an eminently readable introduction to the marvelous scope and depth of modern evolutionary biology and a laudatory attempt to integrate some of the most exciting recent developments in biology into the body of evolutionary theory. However, this is a textbook, aimed at advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate level courses, and so suffers from some of the sins of textbooks—occasional overgeneralization and a sometimes cursory treatment of topics—but these defects detract little from the volume 's utility. About a third of the book is devoted to "classical" evolutionary topics such as the biogeography, the nature of biological species, field and laboratory evidence for evolution, and the concepts ofselection, fitness, and adaptation. Like all good texts in the field, this book devotes considerable space to exploring the implications of genetics for organismal evolution, and Futuyma does a superb job of leading the reader through the intricacies of genetics in all of its manifestations, beginning with classical Mendelian genetics and working up to population and quantitative genetics. The predictions of each of these subdisciplines are carefully laid out and tested against the body offield and laboratory studies ofanimal and plant populations; congruence or contradiction is always carefully noted. I found it heartening to see how often the phrase "this hypothesis has yet to be rigorously tested" appeared in this volume, a tribute both to the author's clear analyses and to the maturity of the discipline. The real excitement ofthis volume lies in its attempt to integrate the multitude of new approaches to evolutionary problems and recent controversies in evolutionary biology into the classical neo-Darwinian paradigm. Molecular genetics, developmental constraints, "neutralist" models of protein evolution, punctuated Permission to reprint a book review printed in this section may be obtained only from the author. 610 Book Review equilibria, cladistic methodologies, macroevolution, mass extinctions, and paleobiology are all treated here, and the new perspective that each of these subjects brings to the study ofevolution is explored at length. AU these topics are new to this edition, but the quality of the discussion varies widely; the sections on paleobiology and macroevolution tend to be heavy on narrative and poorly integrated, while the discussions of molecular biology and development are truly significant contributions to the field. Although the prospects are exciting, it is obvious that we have only the vaguest notion of how molecular genetics or developmental biology will ultimately change our understanding of evolutionary mechanisms. Futuyma concludes his discussion with the observation that "... a molecular description of evolution requires the equivalent, at the molecular level, of comparative anatomy and embryology: an analysis ofhow proteins evolve in structure and function, of how their organization in biochemical pathways evolves, and how their expression in different tissues, or at different times in development, is regulated." That we are not yet at this point is apparent. What is distressing, however, is the fact that it is not clearjust how we will achieve this level of understanding, since reaching this goal will require more comparative molecular genetics and comparative developmental biology than is currently fashionable and will certainly demand a greater level of interaction between evolutionary and molecular biologists than is common today. Finally, for anyone who has been trapped in a cocktail party conversation trying to defend science from those who consider it "dehumanizing," Futuyma's chapter on "Human Evolution and Social Issues" is must reading. Here you will find a carefully reasoned and elegant exposition on what science can and cannot tell us about the human condition, and strong support for the view that knowledge leads to both understanding and tolerance. We have no reason to be ashamed of our primate ancestors, and no one to blame for our noble...