The Case Of The Midwife Toad
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The Case Of The Midwife Toad
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Author : Arthur Koestler
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 1972
The Case Of The Midwife Toad written by Arthur Koestler and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1972 with Biography & Autobiography categories.
An account of Paul Kammerer's research on Lamarckian evolution and what he called "serial coincidences".
The Case Of The Midwife Toad
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Author : Arthur Koestler
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2016-01-08
The Case Of The Midwife Toad written by Arthur Koestler and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2016-01-08 with Fiction categories.
On September 23, 1926, and Austrian experimental biologist named Dr. Paul Kammerer blew his brains out on a footpath in the Austrian mountains. His suicide was the climax of a great evolutionary controversy which his experiments had aroused. The battle was between the followers of Lamarck, who maintained that acquired characteristics could be inherited, and the neo-Darwinists, who upheld the theory of chance mutations preserved by natural selection. Dr. Kammerer's experiments with various amphibians, including salamanders and the midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans), lent much weight to the Lamarckian argument and drew upon him the full fury of the orthodox neo-Darwinists. Arthur Koestler had known about Dr. Kammerer's work when he himself was a student in Vienna, and he has always been interested in this tragic story. He gives a fascinating description of the venomous atmosphere in which the battle was fought and of the lengths to which apparently respectable scholars would go to discredit their opponents. Heading the attack on Kammerer was a British scientist, William Bateson, who hinted that the Viennese's experiments were fakes, but who failed to examine the evidence, including the so-called nuptial pads of Kammerer's last remaining specimen of the midwife toad. It was a young American scientist who delivered the coup de grace; on a visit to Vienna, he discovered that the discoloration of the nuptial pads was due not to natural causes but to the injection Indian ink. When his findings were published, Kammerer shot himself. Mr. Koestler, whose recent writings, in books such as The Act of Creation and The Ghost in the Machine, have been in part concerned with evolutionary theory, decided to investigate this old mystery. When he started on his researches, he expected to relate the tragedy of a man who had betrayed his calling, for Kammerer's suicide was accepted as a confession of guilt and his work was discredited from that day to this. Instead, as Mr. Koestler read the contemporary papers, corresponded with Kammerer's daughter, Bateson's son, and the surviving scientists who attended Kammerer's lecture in Cambridge, he found himself writing a vindication of a man who in all probability was himself betrayed. The story that emerges is, on one level, fascinating piece of scientific detection; on another, it is a moving and human narrative about a much abused, brilliant and lovable figure. Though no Lamarckian himself, Mr. Koestler ends the book with an appeal to biologists to repeat Kammerer's experiments with an open mind in order to verify or refute them. If Kammerer's claims were posthumously confirmed our outlook on evolution would be significantly changed. A superb intellectual thriller whose implications still reverberate today, The Case of the Midwife Toad is an entirely new kind of book for Mr. Koestler, and perhaps only he could have written it, for it required expert knowledge and familiarity with the academic world of science, combined with the creativity and imaginative insight of an outstanding novelist.
The Case Of The Midwife Toad
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Author : Arthur Koestler
language : en
Publisher: Pan
Release Date : 1975-01-01
The Case Of The Midwife Toad written by Arthur Koestler and has been published by Pan this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1975-01-01 with Evolution categories.
The Case Of The Midwife Toad
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Author : Arthur Koestler
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 1973
The Case Of The Midwife Toad written by Arthur Koestler and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1973 with Inheritance of acquired characters categories.
The Inheritance Of Acquired Characteristics
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Author : Paul Kammerer
language : en
Publisher: Рипол Классик
Release Date : 1924
The Inheritance Of Acquired Characteristics written by Paul Kammerer and has been published by Рипол Классик this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1924 with History categories.
The Book Of Frogs
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Author : Tim Halliday
language : en
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Release Date : 2016-01-29
The Book Of Frogs written by Tim Halliday and has been published by University of Chicago Press this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2016-01-29 with Science categories.
“A huge, beautiful compendium of 600 frogs from around the world, from the famed poison-arrow variety on up to the intriguingly named plaintive rain frog.” —Wired With over 7,000 known species, frogs display a stunning array of forms and behaviors. A single gram of the toxin produced by the skin of the Golden Poison Frog can kill 100,000 people. Male Darwin’s Frogs carry their tadpoles in their vocal sacs for sixty days before coughing them out into the world. The Wood Frogs of North America freeze every winter, reanimating in the spring from the glucose and urea that prevent cell collapse. The Book of Frogs commemorates the diversity and magnificence of all of these creatures, and many more. Six hundred of nature’s most fascinating frog species are displayed, with each entry including a distribution map, sketches of the frogs, species identification, natural history, and conservation status. Life-size color photos show the frogs at their actual size—including the colossal seven-pound Goliath Frog. Accessibly written by expert Tim Halliday and containing the most up-to-date information, The Book of Frogs will captivate both veteran researchers and amateur herpetologists. As frogs increasingly make headlines for their troubling worldwide decline, the importance of these fascinating creatures to their ecosystems remains underappreciated. The Book of Frogs brings readers face to face with six hundred astonishingly unique and irreplaceable species that display a diverse array of adaptations to habitats that are under threat of destruction throughout the world. “If you are a serious (and I mean serious) fan of the frog, you are in for a real treat.” —Boing Boing
The Roots Of Coincidence
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Author : Arthur Koestler
language : en
Publisher: Vintage
Release Date : 1973
The Roots Of Coincidence written by Arthur Koestler and has been published by Vintage this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1973 with Extrasensory perception. categories.
The author examines recent developments in parapsychological research and explains their implications for physicists
Amphibian Conservation
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Author : Rebecca K. Smith
language : en
Publisher: Pelagic Publishing Ltd
Release Date : 2014-05-16
Amphibian Conservation written by Rebecca K. Smith and has been published by Pelagic Publishing Ltd this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2014-05-16 with Nature categories.
Amphibian Conservation is the fourth in the series of Synopses of Conservation Evidence, linked to the online resource www.ConservationEvidence.com. This synopsis is part of the Conservation Evidence project and provides a useful resource for conservationists. It forms part of a series designed to promote a more evidence-based approach to biodiversity conservation. Others in the series include bee, bird, farmland and bat conservation and many others are in preparation. Approximately 32% of the 7,164+ amphibian species are currently threatened with extinction and at least 43% of species are declining. Despite this, until recently amphibians and their conservation had received little attention. Although work is now being carried out to conserve many species, often it is not adequately documented. This book brings together and summarises the available scientific evidence and experience relevant to the practical conservation of amphibians. The authors consulted an international group of amphibian experts and conservationists to produce a thorough summary of what is known, or not known, about the effectiveness of amphibian conservation actions across the world. "The book is packed with literature summaries and citations; a veritable information goldmine for graduate students and researchers. It also admirably provides decision makers with a well-researched resource of proven interventions that can be employed to stem/reverse the decline of amphibian populations." -John G Palis, Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society
The Infancy Of Animals
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Author : William Plane Pycraft
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 1913
The Infancy Of Animals written by William Plane Pycraft and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 1913 with Animal behavior categories.
Ranaviruses
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Author : Matthew J. Gray
language : en
Publisher: Springer
Release Date : 2016-10-09
Ranaviruses written by Matthew J. Gray and has been published by Springer this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2016-10-09 with Science categories.
This is the first book on ranaviruses. Ranaviruses are double-stranded DNA viruses that cause hemorrhagic disease in amphibians, reptiles, and fish. They have caused mass die-offs of ectothermic vertebrates in wild and captive populations around the globe. There is evidence that this pathogen is emerging and responsible for population declines in certain locations. Considering that amphibians and freshwater turtles are suitable hosts and the most imperiled vertebrate taxa in the world, ranaviruses can have significant impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem function. Additionally, many fish that are raised in aquaculture facilities and traded internationally are suitable hosts; thus, the potential economic impact of ranaviruses is significant. Ranaviruses also serve as a model for replication and gene function of large double-stranded DNA viruses. There is an urgent need to assemble the contemporary information on ranaviruses and provide guidance on how to assess their threats in populations. Through the Global Ranavirus Consortium, 24 experts from six countries were organize to write this volume, the first book on ranaviruses. The book begins with a discussion on the global extent of ranaviruses, case histories of infection and disease in ectothermic vertebrates, and current phylogeny. Basic principles of ranavirus ecology and evolution are covered next, with a focus on host-pathogen interactions and how the virus emerges in its environment. There are two chapters that will discuss the molecular biology of ranaviruses, host response to infection, and the genes responsible for immune system evasion. One chapter establishes standards for testing for infection and diagnosing ranaviral disease. The book ends by providing guidance on how to design ranavirus surveillance studies and analyze data to determine risk, and discussing the role of the Global Ranavirus Consortium in organizing research and outreach activities.