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| Once We All Had Gills: Growing Up Evolutionist in an Evolving World
ISBN: 9780253007179
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / Indiana University Press
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter
Subjects: Raff Rudolf A.; Biologists -- Biography; Evolution (Biology);
With knowledge and humor, Raff relates the story of his personal and professional evolution as a scientist in this part-memoir, part-plea on behalf of the much-maligned sciences of today's political climate. A professor of biology at Indiana University, Raff (The Shape of Life: Genes, Development, and the Evolution of Animal Form) details his childhood interest in science, which began with a collection of dragonflies ("and their elegant cousins, the damselflies"), the mentors that encouraged him in high school, and his eventual founding of the innovative field of evolutionary development ("evo-devo"). Throughout his engaging life narrative, Raff holds forth on intriguing scientific topics, and makes his case for the teaching of evolution in schools, the consequences of scientific assumptions "harnessed to politics," and more. At once a cri de coeur from an eminent scientist on behalf of his profession, Raff's work is also an engaging and informative jaunt through the richly diverse history of evolution as a phenomenon and a course of study. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Rudolf A. Raff is James H. Rudy Professor of Biology at Indiana University and one of the founders of the field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). He is director of the Indiana Molecular Biology Institute, editor-in-chief of Evolution & Development, Guggenheim Fellow, Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is author of The Shape of Life: Genes, Development, and Evolution of Animal Form and author (with Thom Kaufman) of Embryos, Genes, and Evolution. |
