| Abstrakt: |
This article is a review of "Ancestors in Evolutionary Biology: Linear Thinking about Branching Trees" by Ronald A. Jenner. The book examines the fascination with ancestor narratives after Darwin and their connection to evidence-based efforts to organize living and fossil entities. It explores the relationship between metaphysics and epistemology in understanding relationships and how researchers come to their understanding. The review praises the book for its engaging style, thorough research, and fresh perspective on phylogenetic history. However, it also notes that the author's perspective on what constitutes good or bad science is often unclear. The book covers various topics, including orthogenesis in paleontology, Haeckel's Gastraea theory, theories on the origins of Bilateria and coeloms, modern quantitative cladistic methods, and the use of DNA in constructing phylogenetic frameworks. The author argues that molecular phylogenies and probabilistic computer models are equivalent to speculative storytelling. The book also critiques "tree thinking" and discusses the relationship between taxa, lineages, and evolutionary biology. It concludes that all approaches to understanding evolution involve storytelling. [Extracted from the article] |
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