The philosophy of zoology before Darwin : a translated and annotated version of the original French text by Edmond Perrier : originally published by Félix Alcan, Paris in 1884

Bibliographic Information

The philosophy of zoology before Darwin : a translated and annotated version of the original French text by Edmond Perrier : originally published by Félix Alcan, Paris in 1884

translated by Alex McBirney ; with annotations by Stanton Cook and Gregory Retallack

Springer, c2009

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Note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Jean Octave Edmond Perrier was a French zoologist who lived through the tumult of British Darwinism and Lyellism, and reminds us in this revealing account that French scientists had much to contribute to such perennial topics as evolution, catastrophism and creationism. While very much a product of the Third Republic, Perrier's account also aimed to outline timeless issues and permanent advances in taxonomic and developmental biology since classical Greece and Rome. In this aim he succeeds with surprisingly modern perspectives for a book first published in 1884. Perrier was born May 9, 1844 at Tulle, the son of the principal of a school which now bears his name, Lycee Edmond Perrier. In 1864 he was accepted to the Ecole Normale Superieure, where he was strongly influenced by Louis Pasteur and Henri de Lacaze-Duthiers. After working for three years at a high school in Agen, he obtained a post of naturalist-aid at the Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle (1868), advancing in that institution to Chair of Natural History of Molluscs, Worms and Corals (1876-1903) and then Director of the museum (1900-1919) and Chair of Comparative Anatomy (1903-1921). Previous directors of the museum included many of the scientists he discusses in this book: George Cuvier (1822-1823, 1826-1827, 1830-1831), Isidore Geoffrey St Hilaire (1860- 1861), and Alphonse Milne-Edwards (1891-1900). Perrier's own research on echinoderms and earthworms took him on several expeditions in 1880-1885, mostly to Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, but also to the Caribbean.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Gregory Retallack Translator's Preface by Alexander McBirney Preface Chapter I INTRODUCTION Chapter II Chapter III THE ROMAN PERIOD LUCRETIUS Chapter IV THE MIDDLE AGES AND RENAISSANCE Chapter V EVOLUTION OF THE CONCEPT OF SPECIES Chapter VI PHILOSOPHERS OF THE XVIIIth CENTURY Chapter VII BUFFON Chapter VIII LAMARCK Chapter IX ETIENNE GEOFFROY SAINT-HILAIRE Chapter X GEORGES CUVIER Chapter XI DEBATE BETWEEN CUVIER AND GEOFFROY SAINT-HILAIRE Chapter XII GOETHE Chapter XIII DUGES Chapter XIV THE PHILOSOPHERS OF NATURE Chapter XV THE THEORY OF THE ORGANIC TYPES AND ITS CONSEQUENCES Chapter XVI LOUIS AGASSIZ Chapter XVII THE LOWER ANIMALS Chapter XVIII THE CELLULAR THEORY AND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE INDIVUAL Chapter XIX EMBRYOLOGY Chapter XX SPECIES AND THEIR MODIFICATIONS References Glossary by Stanton A. Cook Biographical Index Index

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Details

  • NCID
    BB02775502
  • ISBN
    • 9789048130085
  • Country Code
    gw
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    Dordrecht
  • Pages/Volumes
    xx, 266 p.
  • Size
    24 cm
  • Classification
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