Darwiniana : Essays — Volume 02

A collected set of essays and lectures that analyzes and defends evolution by natural selection while candidly noting its unresolved problems. The pieces probe the concept of species and the limits of fertility and hybridization as a diagnostic, examine causes of variation and inheritance including debates over acquired characters, and invoke palaeontological evidence for evolutionary change. Several essays respond to critics and trace how the theory matured within biological thought, while memorial and obituary pieces record personal impressions of the central figure behind the hypothesis. The volume also includes accessible lectures intended to explain fundamental biological ideas to non-specialist audiences.