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John Maynard Smith

The Major Transitions in Evolution Reprint Edition

by John Maynard Smith (Author), Eörs Szathmáry (Author)

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Over the history of life there have been several major changes in the way genetic information is organized and transmitted from one generation to the next. These transitions include the origin of life itself, the first eukaryotic cells, reproduction by sexual means, the appearance of multicellular plants and animals, the emergence of cooperation and of animal societies, and the unique language ability of humans. This ambitious book provides the first unified discussion of the full range of these transitions. The authors highlight the similarities between different transitions--between the union of replicating molecules to form chromosomes and of cells to form multicellular organisms, for example--and show how understanding one transition sheds light on others. They trace a common theme throughout the history of evolution: after a major transition some entities lose the ability to replicate independently, becoming able to reproduce only as part of a larger whole. The authors
investigate this pattern and why selection between entities at a lower level does not disrupt selection at more complex levels. Their explanation encompasses a compelling theory of the evolution of cooperation at all levels of complexity. Engagingly written and filled with numerous illustrations, this book can be read with enjoyment by anyone with an undergraduate training in biology. It is ideal for advanced discussion groups on evolution and includes accessible discussions of a wide range of topics, from molecular biology and linguistics to insect societies.

ISBN-10

019850294X
ISBN-13

978-0198502944
Edition

Reprint
Publisher

Oxford University Press
Publication date

February 12, 1998
Language

English
Dimensions

9.21 x 6.14 x 0.75 inches
Print length

360 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"It spans the major transitions in evolution, starting with a prebiotic mix of free molecules and ending with the evolution of human language . . . . A splendid and rewarding tour de force."--Nature

About the Author

John Maynard Smith (1920-2004) was Emeritus Professor of Biology in the University of Sussex. Eors Szathmary is at the Institute for Advanced Study, Budapest.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (February 12, 1998)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 019850294X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0198502944
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.12 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.21 x 6.14 x 0.75 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #642,543 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #215 in Molecular Biology (Books)
- #501 in Genetics (Books)
- #1,219 in Linguistics Reference

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4.6 21 ratings

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benjamin blom

play it again

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 14, 2015

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classic smith, a turn on

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 30, 2013

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exquisite approach on the subject of evolution and its particulars, especially on ways to transition between the structures of the species. Recommended

2 people found this helpful

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R. Albin

Important But A Bit Dated; 4.5 Stars

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 13, 2015

This very interesting book is worth reading for 2 reasons. First, the authors' list of major transitions in evolution concisely identified a series of particularly important research areas. Second, the authors' discussions of each of these transitions are nice analyses of information about and potential explanations for each of the transitions. The framework erected by the list of major transitions apparently has had durable value in guiding a good deal of research. Some of the individual sections are now unavoidably dated, as their has been significant additional research and real progress in some of these areas. The authors focus on major transitions that involve the development of or major changes in the way information is transmitted between generations, for example the emergence of chromosomes or sexual reproduction. Another major theme is the emergence of increasing complexity, in particular, the recurrent phenomenon of independently replicating entities evolving into entities that replicate only as part of a larger whole. Examples are the development of multicellularity and sociality. All the transitions are discussed in the context of evolutionary theory and selective advantage, which is key to understanding the transitions. For some of the transitions, such as the origin of compartmentalization, the discussions are about plausible reconstructions. For others, such as the evolution of sex, there is considerable data to discuss. While this book was written with biologists in mind (the authors also wrote a corresponding popular book), the arguments are laid out clearly and there are abundant, useful charts and diagrams to illustrate the authors' arguments.

While it was written about 20 years ago, many aspects of this book have a strongly contemporary flavor. The authors discuss, for example, the origins of eukaryotes and the root phylogeny of life. An important discovery was recently made on this topic. In their section on development, there is a discussion of Turing's model for development, which the authors discuss as a theoretical construct. Evidence for the reality of Turing-like mechanisms in development was published in Science within the last couple of years. In their discussion of the development of human sociality, the authors suggest that important social mechanisms emerged initially in the context of kin selection and then were extended to non-kin. Again, this idea is supported by some interesting, recently published research. Maynard Smith and Szathmary clearly identified a series of important research areas and provide a nice way of thinking about these problems generally, a substantial achievement.

10 people found this helpful

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Suvrat Kher

A Marvellous and Challenging Read

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 7, 1999

This is arguably John-Maynard Smith's most challenging project in popular science writing. Written along with Eros Szathmary, a chemist, " The Major Transitions in Evolution" is written primarily for biology students, but can be understood by anybody with a solid background in evolutionary theory. How have the ways in which information is transmitted between generations changed through time and what were the crucial transitions that made these changes possible? One early example that illustrates the effect of these transitions is the origin of chromosomes. Nucleic acid strands (genes) capable of independent replication, at some point became linked and thereafter could replicate only as a set of lined genes (chromosomes). A new way of storing information,a new information system had evolved. How was this transition maintained through time? Would'nt unlinked genes which replicate faster be favoured by natural selection over linked genes? In effect, would'nt selection at a lower level disrupt higher level organizatins? This is a common feature of many of the major transitions and forms the fundamental theme of this marvellous book. In a series of chapters the authors discuss the evolutions of various level of complexity. The chapters are arrange in a logical sequence begining with the origin of life and moving on to successive transitions including the origin of the genetic code, the origin of the eucaryotes, the origin of sex, multicellularity, societies and language. The list here is not complete. I read the book from start to finish in a sequence, but readers with a good background in the subject could probably start anywhere depending on their interest. For non-biologist this is not easy reading at all, and I would imagine that even biology students will find portions challenging. An impressive quality of this book is the constant attempt to incorporate the pecularities of a particular system in developing an explanation to explain its origin. A discussion on the origin of the genetic code includes the possibilty that there could be a stero-chemical basis for specific amino acid-codon assigments, rather than it being a 'frozen accident'. Another example is whether there is a causal connection between haplodiploidy and evolution of sociality in eusocial insects. The author warn against making this apparently intuitive connection, and instead seek an explanation in split sex ratios and in some cases the particular features of insect ecology. The highlight of the book for me was the last chapter on the origin of language. From Noam Chomsky's work on the structure of grammer , syntax and language and representation, to an evolutionary explanation for its origin, this was really an informative essay. The ever recurring argument against the evolution of complex adapatations, in this case language, by a series of adaptive intermediate stages, has been dealt with using examples from animal speech, the genetics of language disorders and a section on the transitions from pigdin to creole. The book strikes a good balance between explaining theory and then discussing the experimental evidence available. Wherever possible, new experimental approaches are suggested. Finally, like any really good book on science the authors not only bring you up to date with what has been done, but also stress just how much more needs to be done. It is this feature about the book that leaves a lasting impression.

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Christian Parisod

A nice classic with a bad cover

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 25, 2020

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A classic that I am happy to have on my shelf to consult as much as I want. The cover and the binding is ugly, but a great reread. The chromosomal transition still looks thin...

Ibtissame El hobbi

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 6, 2016

Verified Purchase

Excellent

Michael Greve

Großartig

Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on November 3, 2015

Verified Purchase

Das Buch gehört zu den Klassikern der Evolution.
Es liefert was es verspricht.
4 Sterne, weil es sehr hohe Ansprüche an chemische und biologische Kenntnisse voraussetzt.

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Cliente Amazon

Ottimo manuale

Reviewed in Italy 🇮🇹 on April 11, 2017

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In lingua inglese, ottimo anche per principianti, utile per capire le origini e per seguire il dibattito contemporaneo sulle teorie dell'evoluzione

One person found this helpful

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Y. Naito

20世紀の生命科学書として古典に位置づけられるべき１冊

Reviewed in Japan 🇯🇵 on March 15, 2006

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故メイナード・スミスの集大成ともいえる１冊。大量の参考文献を踏まえ、メイナード・スミスとサトマーリの生命観が、太古から現在、化学進化から社会の進化まで、幅広い時間的スケールと空間的解像度において論じ、展開される。

進化生物学の古典として位置づけられることが間違いないであろうこの良書が、すでに絶版となり、書店で日本語版が手に入らないという状況は痛ましい限り。朝日新聞社刊「生命進化８つの謎」は本書のダイジェスト版で、より新しい内容が加えられアップデートもされているが、議論が尽くされることによる各トピックの深みにおいて、やはり本書の方が優れている。

12 people found this helpful

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