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The final essay in this volume is by Nevo himself, reviewing the many discoveries he and his colleagues have made in what he calls the "evolution canyons" of Israel. The volume includes two original research presentations and eight review papers. It is a tribute to Nevo's diverse interests that the juxtaposition of such different papers in one volume does not strike a dissonant chord. [Extracted from the article]

A shorter chapter on the organization of habitation areas notes the comparative scarcity of intrasite spatial information in Neanderthal sites and the disputed status of the few examples of features interpreted as structures. I Updating Neanderthals i contains a collection of papers on various aspects of Neanderthal biology and archeology intended to update modern human readers on the more recent discoveries and their interpretation. [Extracted from the article]

It is a matter of contention whether or not a general explanatory framework for the biological sciences would be of scientific value, or whether it is even achievable. In this paper we suggest that both are the case, and we outline proposals for a framework capable of generating new scientific questions. Starting with one clear characteristic of biological systems—that they all have the potential to make mistakes—we aim to describe the nature of this potential and the common processes that lie behind it. Given that under most circumstances biological systems function effectively, an examination of different kinds of mistake-making provides pointers to mechanisms that must exist to make failure uncommon. This, in turn, informs a framework for systematic inquiry, which in this paper we apply to the hemostatic system, but we believe could be applied to any system across biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ever since its inception, the theory of evolution has been reified into an "-ism": Darwinism. Although biologists today, by and large, do not use the term "Darwinism" in their research, it still enjoys currency in broader academic and societal contexts. "Darwinian approaches" proliferate across the sciences and humanities and, in public discourse, various so-called "Darwinian views on life" are perceived to have ethically and politically laden consequences. What exactly is Darwinism, and how precisely are its nonscientific uses related to the scientific theory of evolution? Some claim the term's meaning should be limited to scientific content, yet others call for its abolition altogether. In this paper, we propose a unified account of these varieties of Darwinism. We show how the theories introduced by Darwin have grounded a "logic" or style of reasoning about phenomena, as well as various ethically and politically charged "worldviews." The full meaning of Darwinism, as well as how this meaning has changed over time, can only be understood through the complex interaction between these dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Testing rationality of decision-making and choice by evaluating the mathematical property of transitivity has a long tradition in biology, economics, psychology, and zoology. This paradigm is fraught with conceptual, mathematical, and statistical pitfalls. In this overview, we tackle five major obstacles. One challenge lies in spelling out what transitivity of latent preferences really says and what it actually implies about observable choice behavior. Most notably, this step is fraught with aggregation artifacts, in that aggregated behavior can be profoundly misleading about individual behavior. Another hurdle comes from hard mathematical problems associated with characterizing the properties of heterogeneous transitive populations. A third challenge is the prevalence of straw man hypotheses in this area of research. The fourth difficulty is associated with adopting appropriate statistical inference tools that correctly accommodate the idiosyncratic mathematical properties of order-constrained statistical hypotheses. The fifth hurdle arises with the role of scientific parsimony in rationality research. We walk readers through key concepts, mathematical models, and statistical techniques for testing rationality. Throughout, we provide examples using the methods and data of two prominent published papers on animal choice behavior as our case studies. We explain how these papers tackled the five hurdles to varying degrees of success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Race is a topic that will not cease to be discussed and debated, and the collection edited by Lorusso and Winther will provide readers with useful tools to critically and thoughtfully approach the topic. In the first chapter of the current book, Lewontin (1972), Rasmus Grønfeldt Winther, one of the editors of the book, performs a diligent analysis and reevaluation of that paper, concluding that its results have roughly stood the test of time. I have to note that this is a collection with essays that are all worth reading and considering, except perhaps the chapter by A. W. F. Edwards where he very briefly and simply reaffirms his criticism of Lewontin, without offering any new insights. [Extracted from the article]

The ability of parasites to manipulate host behavior to their advantage has been studied extensively, but the impact of parasite manipulation on the evolution of neural and endocrine mechanisms has remained virtually unexplored. If selection for countermeasures has shaped the evolution of nervous systems, many aspects of neural functioning are likely to remain poorly understood until parasites—the brain's invisible designers—are included in the picture. This article offers the first systematic discussion of brain evolution in light of parasite manipulation. After reviewing the strategies and mechanisms employed by parasites, the paper presents a taxonomy of host countermeasures with four main categories, namely: restrict access to the brain; increase the costs of manipulation; increase the complexity of signals; and increase robustness. For each category, possible examples of countermeasures are explored, and the likely evolutionary responses by parasites are considered. The article then discusses the metabolic, computational, and ecological constraints that limit the evolution of countermeasures. The final sections offer suggestions for future research and consider some implications for basic neuroscience and psychopharmacology. The paper aims to present a novel perspective on brain evolution, chart a provisional way forward, and stimulate research across the relevant disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a simple and general explanation for the evolution of mate choice that does not rely on benefits to be gained from favoring some potential mates over others, nor on ornament-preference genetic correlations (but that can help establish such benefits and correlations). Mate choice necessarily arises from competition to engage the powerful but discriminating reward mechanisms that regulate sexual interactions. Progress in understanding the evolution of mate choice will come from analyzing the subjective nature of the cognitive-emotional mechanisms that regulate its expression. A key mechanism may be the sense of beauty—the feeling whose function it is to reward attention to, and engagement with, attractive objects. Any animal whose behavior and decision-making are regulated by mechanisms of emotion and feeling may possess the sense of beauty. Competition to be perceived as beautiful engages brain-generated, top-down influences on perception and subjective experience, adding manifold ways to improve ornament attractiveness. In this paper, I discuss the evolutionary consequences of mate choice involving the sense of beauty and how to test for it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the eminent biologist George C. Williams. During his field work at Berkeley, California, he found he had a little time for other pursuits, and in 1950 met a promising assistant named Doris Calhoun. It was during the writing of his thesis at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) that George found that his ideas were coming too fast to have to worry about changing the paper in his typewriter. In 1999 a superb honor was conferred on George and two other giants of evolutionary theory, Ernest Mayr and John Maynard Smith, when they received the Crafoord Medal from the Swedish Academy of Sciences for their fundamental contributions to evolutionary biology.

The study of female mate choice for male extravagant ornaments has dominated sexual selection research for many decades. Apart from discovering new role-reversed species, which will undoubtedly occur, the only way to increase research output on male mate choice would be to investigate whether males exhibit mate preferences in species having traditional sex roles (i.e., test for the presence of mutual mate choice). I also applaud Schlupp's emphasis on our need to better understand the roles of the ecological and social environment on shaping mate preferences in all forms of sexual selection with emphasis here, of course, on male mate choice. [Extracted from the article]

1 and 2, 91 Winther R. G., Our Genes: A Philosophical Perspective on Human Evolutionary Genomics, 103 Yong E., An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us, 106 Cellular and Molecular Approaches in Fish Biology, 109 Morizot B., Ways of Being Alive, transl. by A. Brown, 89 Mosquitoes of the World, by R. C. Wilkerson et al., Vols. [Extracted from the article]

Evolution is rapidly gaining attention as an important driver of ecological process. Yet, evolution via sexual selection has generally been omitted from this emerging synthesis. Our goal in this paper is to illustrate causative links by which sexually selected traits affect fundamental ecological interactions and processes. We summarize evidence, primarily from vertebrate studies under field conditions, which shows: sexually selected traits have ecological effects; and that their evolution has diverse influences on ecological systems. We conclude with a brief discussion of future research directions to encourage study of sexual selection from a more integrative and eco-evolutionary perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retrospective as well as prospective clinical studies indicate that episodes of high fever as a typical reaction to an acute infection during the entire human life span are inversely related to cancer incidence. Laboratory data aimed at discovering why fever incidents appear beneficial in lowering the risk of cancer remain rudimentary at best. Several hypotheses have been presented thus far, and recent debates have pointed to the effect of fever on innate and adaptive immune functions. In this paper we focus on a particular mode of adaptive immune functioning that involves a type of T cells carrying a receptor composed of gamma/delta chain heterodimer (γδ T-cell receptor; γδ TCR). We present an argument for a key role of infectious fever in the recruitment and enhancement of immune antitumor competence of γδ T cells during the life span of a human being. The unique physiology of γδ T lymphocytes indicating a possible cellular link between innate and adaptive immunity—including modes of antigen recognition as well their presence in tissues prone to infections, metabolic stress, and neoplastic development—makes them a target for exploration in the context of fever and cancer risk, and for future cancer immunotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

. Edited by Marc Zimmer. Baltimore (Maryland): Johns Hopkins University Press. $16.95 (paper). xxiv + 234 p.; ill.; index. ISBN: 9781421446141 (pb); 9781421446158 (eb). 2023. [Extracted from the article]

. By Cameron Cox. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press. $27.95 (paper). vi + 202 p.; ill.; index. ISBN: 978-0-691-16187-7 (pb); 978-0-691-25331-2 (eb). 2023. [Extracted from the article]

. Edited by Sarah Bezan and Robert McKay. Taylor & Francis Group. New York: Routledge. $152.00 (hardcover); $42.36 (paper). xiii + 280 p.; ill.; index. ISBN: 978-0-367-65512-9 (hc); 978-1-032-15846-4 (pb); 978-1-003-12980-6 (eb). 2022. [Extracted from the article]

. Edited by Victor S. Kennedy and Brian F. Beal. Bethesda (Maryland): American Fisheries Society. $79.00 (paper). xiv + 595 p.; ill.; index. ISBN: 978-1-934874-74-5. 2023. [Extracted from the article]

. By Bernard Picton and Christine Morrow. Wild Nation Press. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press. $39.95 (paper). 360 p.; ill.; index. ISBN: 978-0-691-20879-4. 2023. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses a book titled "Evolutionary Biology: Contemporary and Historical Reflections Upon Core Theory. Evolutionary Biology—New Perspectives on Its Development, Volume 6," edited by Thomas E. Dickins and Benjamin J. A. Dickins. The book explores the debate surrounding the need for an "Extended Evolutionary Synthesis" (EES) and includes 12 original papers from 19 biologists and philosophers. While some chapters reiterate arguments for or against the EES, others evaluate specific claims made by proponents of the EES. The book also features a unique structure with each chapter followed by a response from another contributor, allowing for further discussion and analysis. [Extracted from the article]

. By Olivia Messinger Carril and Joseph S. Wilson. Princeton (New Jersey): Princeton University Press. $35.00 (paper). 415 p.; ill.; index. ISBN: 9780691175508 (pb); 9780691249438 (eb). 2023. [Extracted from the article]

Discusses the book "Ageless Quest: One Scientist's Search for Genes That Prolong Youth," by Lenny Guarente. Discussion of the concept of aging; Way in which research on aging is dealt with in the book; Total number of genes which control aging process.

Ehrlich received his PhD in 1957 and throughout their life, he and Anne have jointly published many books and papers. Now in his early nineties, the world-renowned biologist Paul R. Ehrlich has published a fascinating and well-illustrated memoir that should be of interest to the public in general, as well as anyone involved in scientific research, including undergraduate and graduate students and their mentors. Ehrlich has "found that being a has-been is much more fun than being a wannabe" (p. 323), and discusses the toils of old age and his and Anne's life in a retirement community. [Extracted from the article]

Fever, the elevation of core body temperature by behavioral or physiological means, is one of the most salient aspects of human sickness, yet there is debate regarding its functional role. In this paper, we demonstrate that the febrile system is an evolved adaptation shaped by natural selection to coordinate the immune system to fight pathogens. First, we show that previous arguments in favor of fever being an adaptation are epistemologically inadequate, and we describe how an adaptationist strategy addresses this issue more effectively. Second, we argue that the mechanisms producing fever provide clear indications of adaptation. Third, we demonstrate that there are many beneficial immune system responses activated during fever and that these responses are not mere byproducts of heat on chemical reactions. Rather, we show that natural selection appears to have modified several immune system effects to be coordinated by fever. Fourth, we argue that there are some adaptations that coordinate the febrile system with other important fitness components, particularly growth and reproduction. Finally, we discuss evidence that the febrile system may also have evolved an antitumor function, providing suggestions for future research into this area. This research informs the debate on the functional value of fever and antipyretic use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]