Macroevolutionaries

One of the twentieth century’s great paleontologists and science writers, Stephen Jay Gould was, for Bruce S. Lieberman and Niles Eldredge, also a close colleague, mentor, and friend. In Macroevolutionaries, they take up the tradition of Gould’s acclaimed essays on natural history.

Lieberman Bruce :

Dr. Bruce Lieberman is a paleontologist and evolutionary biologist interested in macroevolution and the evolutionary history of invertebrates.Eldredge Niles :

Niles Eldredge has been a paleontologist on the curatorial staff of the American Museum of Natural History since 1969. A specialist in mid-Paleozoic phacopid trilobites, Dr. Eldredge, along with Stephen Jay Gould of Harvard, formulated a theory challenging Darwin's premise that evolution occurs gradually. Their theory, known as Punctuated Equilibria, asserts that evolution occurs in dramatic spurts interspersed with long periods of stasis.Bruce S. Lieberman is Dean’s Professor of Evolutionary Biology and senior curator of invertebrate paleontology at the University of Kansas, where he also directs the Paleontological Institute and is editor in chief of the Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology. His research focuses on patterns and processes of evolution and extinction using the fossil record.

Niles Eldredge is an invertebrate paleontologist, an evolutionary biologist, and an emeritus curator of invertebrates at the American Museum of Natural History. He discovered punctuated equilibria with Stephen Jay Gould and played a leading role in developing the field of macroevolution. His work has also emphasized understanding the biodiversity crisis and documenting Darwin’s discovery of natural selection and evolution.

Emily Casanova, Loyola University New Orleans:
Macroevolutionaries interweaves evolutionary biology, pop culture, and personal narrative in a way only Lieberman and Eldredge can do. Two (r)evolutionary “Musketeers” who’ve been at the forefront of evolutionary theory themselves, they provide a behind-the-scenes view into the science, the people, and thought processes that have formed the foundation of major theories and concepts like Punctuated Equilibria, historical contingency, and volatility. Anyone interested in biology or the history of science should want to read this book!

Andrej Spiridonov, Vilnius University:
Two eminent scientists—Bruce S. Lieberman and Niles Eldredge—present their personal journeys through the wondrous land of the history of life. On this journey, they reflect on the themes and works of their late colleague, Stephen Jay Gould, who is still a major inspiration for all scholars and enthusiasts of the natural world. In a series of thirteen entertaining and revealing essays that are accessible for a general reader, they explore the nuances of the evolution of life and culture.

Peter J. Bowler, author of Progress Unchained: Ideas of Evolution, Human History, and the Future:
It’s been fifty years since Stephen Jay Gould and fellow ‘musketeers’ took on the Darwinian paradigm by proposing new ways of thinking about fossils and evolution. Macroevolutionaries tells the story of their campaign from the inside, illustrating how the scientists and their ideas interacted with wider social developments. If you want to know why the evolution of trilobites and trumpets follow the same pattern, read on.

Eugenie C. Scott, founding executive director, National Center for Science Education:
Two of Steven Jay Gould's colleagues have written a book that reminds us of his many contributions. They do it with flair, tying evolution to art, music, and plenty of pop culture—much as did Gould. A lively portrayal of recent theory in evolutionary biology and the people who shaped it.