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"malus" incorrectly capitalized on p. 546),
and some appearances of error which are
not (e.g., "practise," p. ix, the chiefly British
spelling of "practice").
It would be impossible to envelop all of
acarology in any single volume. This being
true, I anticipate that this publication will
become a major training tool for the next
generation of acarologists, become part of
every acarologist's personal library, and
will be used as a companion to entomology
texts. The work is the product of wisdom
and insight amassed from 25 yrs of lecturing on the included topics by the author.
Like a fine port wine, it benefits from expectations across time; and like a fine
cheese, from the gentle forging and nurturing of a firm hand. It is a must for all serious
scholars of arthropod biology.
Marilyn A. Houck
Department of Biological Sciences
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX
Analytical Population
Dynamics
T. Royama
Chapman & Hall, New York, 1993
371 pp., $49.50
ISBN 0-412-24320-2
D
ESPITE CONSIDERABLE
EFFORT,
ECOLOGISTS
still have an incomplete understanding
of the processes that cause changes in insect
population densities. Although there have
been significant advancements in the development of theoretical population models,
considerable debate still exists on how to
deduce the underlying processes that drive
the dynamics of natural populations.
Royama has been a major contributor of
important population dynamics theory and
useful analytical techniques through his numerous publications in Ecological MOllographs. In this book, he develops these
theoretical and analytical concepts in much
more detail and in a more cohesive manner
than in his previous works. As such this
book will be of considerable interest to
ecologists who study animal population
ecology. It will also be useful for advanced
students of population ecology as it represents a complete development of population theory including practical application
in the analysis of field data.
The book is divided into two major sections: (1) theoretical bases of population
dynamics and (2) analysis of classic cases. In
the first section, Royama develops a series
AMF.RICAN ENTOMOI.OGIST
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of linear and nonlinear population models
and explores their behavior. Over the last
50 yr, there has been considerable controversy over how density-dependent and
density-independent factors affect population regulation. Here, Royama demonstrates clearly that density dependence does
not equate with population regulation as
many previous authors have proposed. As
an alternative to simplistic notions of density dependence, he elucidates the manner in
which density-dependent and -independent
factors cause the often complex patterns of
population fluctuations.
In the latter portion of the first section
(Chapter 3), Royama demonstrates how his
theoretical foundation can be used to formulate analytical tools to elucidate the processes underlying the dynamics of natural
populations. This section is the most extensive development to date of time series
analysis techniques as analytical tools in
animal ecology. These methods are likely to
be widely applied in the future, though long
time series of population densities are necessary for their application.
Perhaps the only bothersome aspect of
this first section is that Royama makes
almost no reference to closely related
works. For example, there are few, if any,
references to the numerous publications
concerning the relationship between temporal or spatial density-dependence and
population regulation. Thus, the task of
relating the theory and analytical tools presented in this book to the many published
works on the subject is left up to the reader.
While this does place some burden on the
reader, it may be advantageous to new students in that they are able to start from a
clean slate and are free of the often contradictory conclusions of previous authors.
In the second section, Royama presents
detailed analyses of the population processes governing the dynamics of selected animal populations. These analyses include an
excellent summary of the well-studied
Canadian lynx-snowshoe hare system and
an updated summary of Royama's previously published analysis of spruce bud worm dynamics. These case studies serve to illustrate
the analytical techniques that can be used to
deduce the processes that determine the
dynamical patterns of animal densities.
Royama not only uses many analytical
methods derived from the theoretical material presented in the first section but also
presents many additional techniques, such
as methods for life table analysis.
Royama states that the book was written
to spark the interest of readers so they might
analyze population data in meaningful
ways. The analytical techniques presented
require extensive quantities of population
data. As such, this book may also serve to
convince scientists that extensive and longterm data sets are necessary in order to make
meaningful conclusions about the processes
that generate population fluctuations.
Andrew Liebhold
USDA Forest Service
Morgantown, WV
One Long Argument:
Charles Darwin and the
Genesis of Modern
Evolutionary Thought
Ernst Mayr
Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA,
1991
195 pp., $19.95
ISBN 0-674-63905
T
HIs BOOK, INTENDED FOR THE NONSPECIALIST,
synthesizes Mayr's views on "the role of
Darwin's thought in the history of ideas" (p.
viii). It analyzes the scientific content of
Darwin's evolutionary theories, evaluates
their sources, and traces their fortunes
through the subsequent history of biological thought.
Mayr's opening thesis is that much misunderstanding has resulted from failure to
recognize that Darwin's theory of evolution
is actually a complex of distinct subtheories
that have had very different histories. These
include: evolution itself (transformation
over time), common descent of all organisms from a single ancestor, multiplication
of species as the source of organic diversity,
gradual (as opposed to saltational) evolutionary change, and natural selection. Mayr
argues that Darwin and his early supporters
were unified and most sharply distinguished from their opponents by acceptance of evolution and common descent.
However, the remaining postulates were
controversial even within the early Darwinian camp, engendering a debate, particularly over the importance of natural
selection, that has driven much of evolutionary biology ever since.
A recurrent motif is the influence of
"external" factors on evolutionary thought.
Mayr regards the philosophical climate
(Zeitgeist) as having strongly delayed, rather than fostered, publication and acceptance
of Darwin's theories, and indeed portrays
the latter as having generated a broad
intellectual revolution. Common descent
aroused profound opposition because it
challenged basic elements of the prevailing
113
Christian worldview, which Mayr enumerates as beliefs in a constant world, a created
world, a wise and benign Creator, and the
uniqueness of man. Reflecting the title,
Mayr stresses that the Origin of Species is to
be understood, above all, as "one long argument" against special creation. He rejects
the alternative interpretation of this phrase,
which comes from Darwin's own description of his work, as referring to natural
selection.
Mayr also rejects sociopolitical interpretations of Darwinism, concluding, for
example, that Darwin's invocation of
Malthus was but one small step on the path
to natural selection. Elsewhere he stresses
the conflict of Darwin's theory with the
superficially similar views of contemporary
political theorists such as Herbert Spencer.
The philosophers who have recently sought
to characterize early Darwinism by social
bonds, rather than by shared views (e.g., D.
Hull), are bluntly dismissed as ignorant of
biology.
Not until well into this century did the
connotation of
Darwinism expand to
include natural selection as well as common
descent. Mayr ascribes the initial rejection
of natural selection in part to its contradiction of entrenched habits of Western scientific thought, including the platonic notion
of unchanging essences, the ideal of scientific laws as deterministic and universal,
and various forms of teleology. Natural
selection was radical in its postulation of
gradual transformation of one organic form
into another, of a statistical form of causation, and of a mechanical, rather than teleological, explanation for organismal form.
In tracing its gradual acceptance, Mayr
devotes an entire chapter to August Weismann. Weismann is best known for his vigorous rejection of the inheritance of
acquired traits in favor of particulate inheritance, clarifying such issues as whether
reduction traits (e.g., loss of eyes in cavernicoles) could arise from disuse directly or
reflected natural selection. I was interested
to learn that Weismann also carried out
some of the first experimental studies of
adaptation, demonstrating, for example,
that crypsis in caterpillars does, in fact,
affect predation rates.
According to Mayr, the twentieth century Evolutionary Synthesis was characterized not by innovation but by "house
c1eaning"-final
refutation of outmoded
theories including "soft inheritance," goaldirected evolution, and evolution by saltational mutation. The field thus cleared,
natural selection acting upon genetic variants of small effect, became accepted as the
dominant mode of evolutionary change. In
the final chapter, Mayr provides his familiar
114
defense of the Synthesis against vanous
postmodern criticisms.
In contrast to his other theories, Darwin's views on speciation have fared poorly.
Mayr argues that Darwin's acceptance of
sympatri<: speciation arose from a semantic
misunderstanding. Perhaps, because some
entomologists even now persist in such deviations, he notes that Darwin's error was
perpetuated with especial vigor in the early
insect literature.
While little of this is new, the book is a
lively summary of a story that cannot be retold too often. Every biologist should know
at least this much about Darwin and his
theory, and I can envision assigning this
book to a graduate course or seminar in evolution or ecology. Mayr obviously speaks
from unmatched authority, and his method
of argumentation is itself instructive. Like a
good systematist, he tackles complex issues
by first rendering their elements into classifications (I count at least nine). Like
Darwin, he cannot observe without enumerating possible explanations and taking
sides; he has a theory for everything. (As to
why Darwin was able to accomplish so
much, for example, Mayr speculates on his
"refusing to accept memberships on committees"[p. 8].) To be sure, students will
need to be forewarned about Mayr's biases
and shadowboxing with old opponents
(e.g., the "reductionists"), his tendency to
oversimplify (as in several sweeping pronouncements on macroevolution), and his
occasional lack of clarity (as when selection
is said to reflect both luck and superiority of
attributes [p.8?]). I also think students need
to see Darwin's evidence itself, not treated
here, and so would supplement this book
with readings from Futuyma's Sciellce on
Trial, Mayr's own Growth of Biological
Thought, or the Origin of Species itself.
Charles Mitter
Department of Entomology
University of Maryland
College Park, MD
The Science of
Entomology,
Third Edition
W. S. Romoser & J. G. Stoffolano, Jr.
Brown Communications, Dubuque, lA,
1994
532 pp., $42
ISBN 0-69?-03349-X
H
AVE YOU EVER LEAFED THROUGH
RECENTLY
published textbooks used in introduc-
tory biology courses throughout this country's universities? If you have, then you
undoubtedly recognize the high-quality,
glossy print and extensive use of color
plates, diagrams, summarizing tables, and
highlighting techniques. The presentation
of material in these books is quite creative
and, from one perspective, seems to be almost in the form of a game beckoning students to play. I suppose the reason for the
myriad of quality general biology texts is
the highly competitive nature resulting
from the seemingly limitless number of
students required to take freshman biology. Of course, this situation is nonexistent
in the more specialized field of entomology, and so I began reading the third edition
of The Science of Entomology with some
trepidation. However, after reading just
the preface and introduction, my misgivings began to dissolve and thoughts about
the possibility of an entomology text rivaling those of which I just spoke began to
emerge.
The book is divided into four sections. I
found the writing in each to be straightforward, allowing the information presented,
not the writing style, to capture the reader's
attention. In particular, I appreciated the
authors' rather personal touch and their
philosophy regarding certain concepts
such as is intimated in the following statement: "This text is not intended to deceive
the student into thinking that either everything is known about the biology of insects
or that there are no controversies. Without
controversies and people to accept the
challenges these controversies present,
good science fails to exist and to advance"
(p. 94). An approach such as this allows the
reader to realize that, although much is
known about insects, even more remains
for discovery; this fact should be particularly relevant to students as potential entomologists, for nothing quells the curiosity
as quickly as a book written, or a lecture
given, as if everything that could be known
is known.
The authors make extensive use of diagrams and illustrations in the seven chapters of Part 1, Structure and Function.
Many of the best and classic figures have
been improved through modification, and
the appropriate use of quality electron and
light micrographs enhances the student's
understanding of the relationship between
physiology and morphology and the required mutual dependence. Throughout
this section, I particularly liked the way
terms were explained without seeming like
dreaded definitions requiring memorization. The chapter on sensory mechanisms
is extremely useful and should certainly
dispel many misconceptions students may
AMERICAN ENTOMOI.OGIST
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