Phyletic gradualism
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| - | '''Stephen Jay Gould''' (September 10, 1941 – May 20, 2002) was an American [[Paleontology|paleontologist]], [[Evolution|evolutionary biologist]] and [[History of science|historian of science]]. He was also one of the most influential and widely read writers of [[popular science]] of his generation. Gould spent most of his career teaching at [[Harvard University]] and working at the [[American Museum of Natural History]] in New York. In the latter years of his life, Gould also taught biology and evolution at [[New York University]] near his home in [[SoHo]]. | + | '''Phyletic gradualism''' is a model of [[evolution]] which theorizes that most [[speciation]] is slow, uniform and gradual. |
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| - | Gould's greatest contribution to science was the theory of [[punctuated equilibrium]] which he developed with [[Niles Eldredge]] in 1972. The theory proposes that most evolution is marked by long periods of evolutionary stability, which is punctuated by rare instances of [[Cladogenesis|branching evolution]]. The theory was contrasted against [[phyletic gradualism]], the popular idea that evolutionary change is marked by a pattern of smooth and continuous change in the fossil record. | + | |
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| - | Most of Gould's empirical research was based on the [[land snail]] genera ''[[Poecilozonites]]'' and ''[[Cerion (gastropod)|Cerion]]''. He also contributed to [[evolutionary developmental biology]], and has received wide praise for his book ''[[Ontogeny and Phylogeny (book)|Ontogeny and Phylogeny]]''. In evolutionary theory he opposed strict selectionism, [[sociobiology]] as applied to humans, and [[evolutionary psychology]]. He campaigned against [[creationism]] and proposed that science and religion should be considered two distinct fields, or "[[Non-overlapping magisteria|magisteria]]", whose authorities do not overlap. | + | |
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| - | Many of Gould's ''[[Natural History (magazine)|Natural History]]'' essays were reprinted in collected volumes, such as ''[[Ever Since Darwin]]'' and ''[[The Panda's Thumb (book)|The Panda's Thumb]]'', while his popular treatises included books such as ''[[The Mismeasure of Man]]'', ''[[Wonderful Life (book)|Wonderful Life]]'' and ''[[Full House: The Spread of Excellence from Plato to Darwin|Full House]]''. | + | |
| + | ==See also== | ||
| + | *[[Punctuated equilibrium]] | ||
| + | *[[Punctuated gradualism]] | ||
| + | *[[Quantum evolution]] | ||
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Phyletic gradualism is a model of evolution which theorizes that most speciation is slow, uniform and gradual.
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