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Evolutionary Developmental Biology pp 1–10Cite as

Stephen Jay Gould (1941–2002)

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Abstract

Stephen Jay Gould contributed to paleontology, evolutionary biology, developmental biology, and the history of science during the second half of the twentieth century. He was also one of the most influential writers of popular science of his generation. Gould’s scientific work impacted the evolutionary theory from a philosophical perspective and historically contributed to the establishment of evo-devo.

This chapter discusses Stephen J. Gould’s legacy as it relates to evo-devo. In particular, the chapter analyzes the concepts of punctuated equilibria, heterocrony, and neoteny as discussed in Gould’s 1977 Ontogeny and Phylogeny, as well as the concepts of developmental constraints and exaptation. Finally, this chapter describes Gould’s contribution to macroevolution and his proposal of the concept of levels of selection.

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Biology and Society, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Federica Turriziani Colonna

Authors
  1. Federica Turriziani Colonna
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Federica Turriziani Colonna .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. The KLI Institute, Klosterneuburg, Austria

    Laura Nuno de la Rosa

  2. The KLI Institute, Klosterneuburg, Austria

    Gerd Müller

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    Daniel Nicholson

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Turriziani Colonna, F. (2018). Stephen Jay Gould (1941–2002). In: Nuno de la Rosa, L., Müller, G. (eds) Evolutionary Developmental Biology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33038-9_36-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33038-9_36-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33038-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33038-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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