Species

John S. Wilkins is Research Fellow in Philosophy at the University of Sydney. He is the author of Defining Species: A Sourcebook from Antiquity to Today.

• Preface vii Acknowledgments xiii Prologue 1 The Classical Era: Science by Division 9 The Medieval Bridge 35 Species and the Birth of Modern Science 47 The Early Nineteenth Century: A Period of Change 97 Darwin and the Darwinians 129 The Species Problem Arises 165 The Synthesis and Species 181 Modern Debates 197 Reproductive Isolation Concepts 197 Evolutionary Species Concepts 201 Phylogenetic Species Concepts 205 Other Species Concepts 216 Historical Summary and Conclusions 227 Notes 235 References 251 Index 289 About the Author

"The most comprehensive, encyclopedic account of the history of the thinking about species... Truly impressive." Science & Education "The most comprehensive work of its kind. It will appeal to students in a diverse set of disciplines... Highly recommended." Choice "Provides a comprehensive and interesting synthesis of the species problem today in the context of changing ideologies through history." Journal Of Human Evolution Blog "Provides a thorough background in this important topic... A valuable resource." Nsta Recommends "No other book provides this kind of comprehensive, historical account of the thinking about species. As reference work, this book is impressive." Int'l History, Philosophy, & Science Teaching Group Newsletter "A useful source for literature, ideas, and history of the topic." -- James Mallet Integrative & Comparative Bio (Sicb) "Provides an encyclopedic history of the idea of species from Plato to the present." Darwinian Conservatism Blog "[A] congenial book." Oxford Journal "It is difficult to find anything to dislike about Wilkins's study. The breadth of the work is staggering, and the amount of research that went into its discussion of every major intellectual figure and conceptual player in the species debates from Plato onward is readily apparent at every turn." -- Charles H. Pence Evolution: Education and Outreach