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Shapes of Time: The Evolution of Growth and Development [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

~ Dr. Kenneth J. McNamara PhD (Author) "LIFE HAS EXISTED ON THIS PLANET FOR MORE THAN 3,500 MILLION years..." (more)
Key Phrases: peramorphic increase, paedomorphic nature, paedomorphic reduction, Peter Pan, Western Australia, Charles Darwin (more...)

5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Heterochrony refers to changes in the rate and timing of growth and development events or patterns. Besides genetic variation and natural selection, paleontologist McNamara (Evolutionary Change and Heterochrony, Wiley, 1996) argues that heterochrony plays a key role in the evolution, complexity, and diversity of the biosphere throughout Earth's history. He shows how changes in size, shape, and behavior during animal ontogeny have resulted in the speciation of, and general trends in, life forms from fossil trilobites to living dogs and sea urchins. Special attention is given to predation pressure on an organism throughout its life history. Of particular interest is an examination of speciation among the Galapagos birds and a discussion of the evolution of our human species as the "super ape." Clearly written, well illustrated, and with numerous supporting examples, this important contribution to understanding a major mechanism of organic evolution is recommended for all large science collections.?H. James Birx, Canisius Coll., Buffalo, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

""Pleasantly and clearly written... [this book] has splendid diagrams that make their point brilliantly." -- New Scientist

"McNamara explains the complex facets of evolutionary biology [such as heterochrony and paedomorphosis] in a delightfully clear and entertaining matter... his engaging style of writing helps bring the reader into the fantastic world of evolution. By and large, Shapes of Time is an excellent find to be savored like a good malt whiskey. I raise my glass to McNamara." -- Earth

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Product Details

Hardcover: 360 pages
Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press; 1 edition (September 23, 1997)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0801855713
ISBN-13: 978-0801855719
Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds

Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,648,087 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
LIFE HAS EXISTED ON THIS PLANET FOR MORE THAN 3,500 MILLION years. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
peramorphic increase, paedomorphic nature, paedomorphic reduction, peramorphic evolution, sequential hypermorphosis, peramorphic features, paedomorphic forms, paedomorphic processes, paedomorphic features, heterochronic changes, heterochronic processes, descendant adults, bone microstructure, defensive spines, mountain nyala, younger species, positive allometry, precocious onset, horn development, heart urchins, kangaroo mouse, greater kudu, larger body size, biogenetic law, juvenile features

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Peter Pan, Western Australia, Charles Darwin, North America, Origin of Species, Late Pleistocene, Pere Alberch, Australian Miocene, Gavin de Beer, New Zealand, Stephen Gould, Aldous Huxley, Giralia Range, Ice Age, Brad Livezey, Brian Shea of Northwestern University, Devonian Period, Ernst Haeckel, Jill Ruse, South America, Alpheus Hyatt, Early Devonian, Early Paleozoic, Edward Drinker Cope, Great Pyrenees

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 48 books:

Ontogeny and Phylogeny by Stephen Jay Gould on 9 pages
Evolutionary Change and Heterochrony by Kenneth J. McNamara on 5 pages
The Origin Of Species: 150th Anniversary Edition by Charles Darwin on 5 pages
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin on 5 pages
On the Origin of Species (Penguin Classics) by Charles Darwin on 5 pages

See all 48 books this book cites

6 books cite this book:

Ontogeny, Functional Ecology, and Evolution of Bats by Rick A. Adams on page 8, and page 313
Human Evolution through Developmental Change by Nancy Minugh-Purvis on page 4, and page 120
Handbook of Evolution: The Evolution of Living Systems (Including Hominids) (Handbook of Evolution(VCH)) by Franz M. Wuketits on page 59
The Golden Retriever Puppy Handbook by R. Ann Johnson in Back Matter
Biased Embryos and Evolution by Wallace Arthur in Back Matter

See all 6 books citing this book

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Bringing Fossils To Life by Donald R. Prothero

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The Nature of Diversity by D. R. Brooks

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Plant Allometry by Karl J. Niklas

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Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs by Philip J. Currie

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great book on an often neglected topic..., September 14, 2000

By	Alan R. Holyoak (Idaho) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

Genetics and natural selection typically take front stage in discussions of evolution. Such has been the case for a long time, and may be for some time to come. BUT in "Shapes of Time," McNamara makes a strong case for including growth development in the mix in deciding how, why, and when organisms came to be the way they are (or were).

McNamara's main thesis is that three major developmental trends -- 1) Peramorphosis; 2) Paedomorphosis; and 3) Hypermorphosis (a twist on Peramorphosis) -- produce a good deal of the observable variability out there. He proceeds to make the case that changes in rates of development and growth (i.e., heterochrony) can have a major impact as an evolutionary process, and that heterochrony deserves a more prominent place in evolutionary theory.

Just so you know what he's talking about...1) peramorphosis is a condition where growth or development proceeds beyond that observed in the ancestral condition; 2) paedomorphosis is a condition where development does not reach the state observed in the ancestral condition; and 3) hypermorphosis (a form of peramorphosis) is a condition where not only does growth and development surpass the ancestral condition, but growth and development proceeds longer than in the ancestral condition.

McNamara does an excellent job of tying together his thesis in the last chapter by applying virtually everything he talked about throughout the book. In that chapter he addresses human evolution, and does a great job of showing how, in terms of heterochrony, we are a "cocktail organism," showing signs of paedomorphosis here, perimorphosis there, and hypermorphosis in another situation.

Readers entrenched in the traditional view of the "new synthesis," i.e., genetics + natural selection = evolution, will find themselves shaking their heads here and there as they read this book (I even did that a couple of times and I'm a relatively strong proponent of development being a significant factor in evolution). If you press on you will find that McNamara makes a sensible, supported case for the importance of heterochrony as being an important factor in evolutionary theory.

The question I have is this: "What is the source of heterochrony in development?" McNamara doesn't address this directly, but his downplaying the role of genetics suggests that genetic variability codes primarily for what happens, not when or how fast it happens. This is a quandry! What controls and passes on information about the timing of development and growth if not genetics? In any case heterochrony exists in growth and development. That is not debatable.

I support McNamara's position that growth and development play a major role in evolution. I wonder what it will take to get those factors included in mainstream discussions on evolutionary theory?

Good job to Kenneth McNamara! He provides good food for thought in this offering.

5 stars.

Alan Holyoak, Dept of Biology, Manchester College, IN

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5.0 out of 5 stars Evolution revised and extended, January 21, 1999

By	P. Frechette jmf@mediom.qc.ca (Quebec city, Canada) - See all my reviews

A winderful book, well writen, full of exemples and recent discoveries in understanding of the mecanisms driving evolutionary change. Not the common book on natural selection. Startingly fresh and thoughts-provoking! Shoulf be on every biologist bookshelf and is a great intorduction to the extented theory of evolution for anyone.

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