Francisco Jose Ayala
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Francisco Jose Ayala is a noted contributor to Encyclopaedia Britannica online. Read Britannica's biography of Francisco Jose Ayala
Francisco J. Ayala is a University Professor and Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences, School of Biological Sciences; Professor of Philosophy, School of Humanities; and Professor of Logic and the Philosophy of Science, Logic & Philosophy of Science, School of Social Sciences, at the University of California, Irvine. He was awarded the 2001 National Medal of Science and 2010 Templeton Prize, among many others.
He is the author of numerous books, including Am I a Monkey? and Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion.
photograph: courtesy of University of California, Irvine
Primary Contributions (2)
Sexual selection, theory in postulating that the evolution of certain conspicuous physical traits—such as pronounced coloration, increased size, or striking adornments—in animals may grant the possessors of these traits greater success in obtaining mates. From the perspective of natural selection,…
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Publications (4)
Human Evolution: Trails from the Past
Human Evolution provides a comprehensive overview of hominid evolution, synthesizing data and approaches from fields as diverse as physical anthropology, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, genetics, archaeology, psychology, and philosophy.
The book begins with chapters on evolution, population genetics, systematics, and the methods for constructing evolutionary trees. These are followed by a comprehensive review of the fossil history of human evolution since our divergence...
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Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion
With the publication in 1859 of On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Charles Darwin established evolution by common descent as the dominant scientific explanation for nature's diversity. This was to be his gift to science and society; at last, we had an explanation for how life came to be on Earth.
Scientists agree that the evolutionary origin of animals and plants is a scientific conclusion beyond reasonable doubt. They place it beside such established concepts...
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Am I a Monkey?: Six Big Questions about Evolution
Despite The Ongoing Cultural Controversy In America, Evolution Remains A Cornerstone Of Science. In This Book, Francisco J. Ayala---an Evolutionary Biologist, Member Of The National Academy Of Sciences, And Winner Of The National Medal Of Science And The Templeton Prize---cuts To The Chase In A Daring Attempt To Address, In Nontechnical Language This To-the-point Book Answers Each Of These Questions With Force. Ayala's Occasionally Biting Essays Refuse To Lend Credence To Disingenuous Ideas And Arguments....
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Evolution, Explanation, Ethics and Aesthetics: Towards a Philosophy of Biology
Evolution, Explanation, Ethics, And Aesthetics: Towards A Philosophy Of Biology Focuses On The Dominant Biological Topic Of Evolution, With The Unique Benefit Of Being Written By An Eminent Biologist Who Also Happens To Be A Philosopher. It Deals With The Prevailing Philosophical Themes Of How To Explain The Adaptation Of Organisms, The Interplay Of Chance And Necessity, And The Recurrent Topics Of Emergence, Reductionism, And Progress. Also Extensively Treated Is The All-important (and Of Great...
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