Genetics, paleontology, and macroevolution /

The "Modern Synthesis" of evolutionary biology was based on a partial integration of genetics, systematics (and morphological variation), and paleontology nearly half a century ago. One of its major tenets was that large-scale evolutionary phenomena (macroevolution) could be interpreted as the combination of many small-scale (microevolutionary) changes. In the past two decades, that gradualist view has been questioned in the punctuated equilibrium model. Levinton seeks to evaluate the two approaches and to effect a reintegration, concentrating on macroevolution (defined as the study of transitions between distantly related groups of organisms). He proceeds from genetics to speciation, ontogeny, adaptation, paleontological data, and evolutionary rates, emphasizing patterns of evolution as seen in fossils and modern diversity. He argues against punctuation but for adaptation, cladistic analysis of phylogeny, and hierarchical models of the evolutionary process. The book is well written and well argued. A glossary and excellent bibliography help to recommend this book for all college libraries. It is an up-to-date survey of the ferment and excitement in modern evolutionary studies. -E. Delson, Herbert H. Lehman College, CUNY