Evolution and Extinction (Royal Society Discussion Volumes)

There has been much debate as to whether the pace and nature of evolutionary change is gradual and more or less constant, or whether it is of an erratic, pulsed nature. Linked to this is the related question of whether so called 'mass extinctions' seen in the fossil record are merely the result of a wide range of extinction phenomena, or whether they represent extinctions resulting from catastrophic events rather than the result of random fluctuations in the fortunes of survival. This book brings together palaeontologists and evolutionary biologists to examine and deliberate on all aspects of evolution and extinction ranging from the earliest known extinctions in the fossil record to threatened extinctions associated with human activity. Graduate students and researchers in evolution, palaeobiology and ecology will find much of interest and value in this book.