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Phylogenetic Inference, Selection Theory, and History of Science

Phylogenetic Inference, Selection Theory, and History of Science

Phylogenetic Inference, Selection Theory, and History of Science

Selected Papers of A. W. F. Edwards with Commentaries
Rasmus Grønfeldt Winther, University of California
August 2018
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Hardback
9781107111721
$103.00
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    A. W. F. Edwards is one of the most influential mathematical geneticists in the history of the discipline. One of the last students of R. A. Fisher, Edwards pioneered the statistical analysis of phylogeny in collaboration with L. L. Cavalli-Sforza, and helped establish Fisher's concept of likelihood as a standard of statistical and scientific inference. In this book, edited by philosopher of science Rasmus Grønfeldt Winther, Edwards's key papers are assembled alongside commentaries by leading scientists, discussing Edwards's influence on their own research and on thinking in their field overall. In an extensive interview with Winther, Edwards offers his thoughts on his contributions, their legacy, and the context in which they emerged. This book is a resource both for anyone interested in the history and philosophy of genetics, statistics, and science, and for scientists seeking to develop new algorithmic and statistical methods for understanding the genetic relationships between and among species both extant and extinct.

    • Brings together A. W. F. Edwards's seminal papers, which are often hard to find as published in a wide range of journals, but which remain influential in the field today
    • Leading experts share with readers the influence Edwards's research has had on their own work and their field as a whole
    • Additional context provided by A. W. F. Edwards, based on an extensive interview with him, helping readers to contextualise the contribution he has made

    Reviews & endorsements

    ‘… those interested in the scientific process want to look behind that public image. How did these theories and experiments develop? What were the false starts and confusions that were embraced initially and then overcome? In what way do ethical and political factors affect the scientific process, and ought they to do so? One of the virtues of this volume is that it does not shortchange this set of questions.’ Elliott Sober, The Quarterly Review of Biology

    See more reviews

    Product details

    August 2018
    Hardback
    9781107111721
    552 pages
    258 × 177 × 30 mm
    1.22kg
    4 b/w illus.
    Available

    Table of Contents

    • Introduction Rasmus Grønfeldt Winther
    • Part I. Selected Papers of A. W. F. Edwards:
    • 1. The reconstruction of evolution (1963) with L. L. Cavalli-Sforza
    • 2. Reconstruction of evolutionary trees (1964) with L. L. Cavalli-Sforza
    • 3. Analysis of human evolution under random genetic drift (1964) with L. L. Cavalli-Sforza and I. Barrai
    • 4. Analysis of human evolution (1965) with L. L. Cavalli-Sforza
    • 5. A method for cluster analysis (1965) with L. L. Cavalli-Sforza
    • 6. Studying human evolution by computer (1966)
    • 7. Estimation procedures for evolutionary branching processes (1966) with L. L. Cavalli-Sforza
    • 8. Fundamental theorem of natural selection (1967)
    • 9. Phylogenetic analysis: models and estimation procedures (1967) with L. L. Cavalli-Sforza
    • 10. Statistical methods in scientific inference (1969)
    • 11. Estimation of the branch points of a branching diffusion process (1970)
    • 12. Review of Evolution and the Genetics of Populations, Volume 2 by S. Wright (1971)
    • 13. Affinity as revealed by differences in gene frequencies (1972) with L. L. Cavalli-Sforza
    • 14. Likelihood (1972)
    • 15. The history of likelihood (1974)
    • 16. Are Mendel's results really too close? (1986)
    • 17. Probability and likelihood in genetic counselling (1989)
    • 18. The fundamental theorem of natural selection (1994)
    • 19. Assessing molecular phylogenies (1995)
    • 20. The origin and early development of the method of minimum evolution for the reconstruction of evolutionary trees (1996)
    • 21. Darwin and Mendel united: the contributions of Fisher, Haldane and Wright up to 1932 (2001)
    • 22. Human genetic diversity: Lewontin's fallacy (2003)
    • 23. Parsimony and computers (2004)
    • 24. Statistical methods for evolutionary trees (2009)
    • 25. Mathematizing Darwin (2011)
    • 26. Robert Heath Lock and his textbook of genetics, 1906 (2013)
    • 27. R. A. Fisher's gene-centred view of evolution and the fundamental theorem of natural selection (2014)
    • 28. Analysing nature's experiment: Fisher's inductive theorem of natural selection (2016)
    • Part II. Commentaries:
    • 29. Anthony Edwards' seminal contributions to phylogenetics, likelihood, and understanding R. A. Fisher and the history of genetics Walter Bodmer
    • 30. Anthony Edwards, Luca Cavalli-Sforza, and phylogenies Joseph Felsenstein
    • 31. The historic split and merger of gene trees and species trees Rasmus Nielsen
    • 32. Likelihood and the comparative method in evolutionary biology Mark Pagel
    • 33. Likelihood inference in models for the genetic diversity of populations Elizabeth Thompson
    • 34. A. W. F. Edwards and the origin of Bayesian phylogenetics Ziheng Yang
    • 35. A conversation about Fisher (1930, 1958) Warren J. Ewens
    • 36. Edwards on Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection Samir Okasha
    • 37. A. W. F. Edwards, R. A. Fisher and the genetical theory of natural selection Maurizio Esposito
    • 38. Reading and misreading Fisher: Anthony Edwards and the history of population genetics Jean-Baptiste Grodwohl
    • 39. Variance-partitioning and classification in human population genetics Noah A. Rosenberg
    • Part III. Interviews with A. W. F. Edwards: Day 1: Selection theory
    • Day 2: Phylogenetic inference
    • Day 3: Edwards and Fisher
    • Part IV. A. W. F. Edwards:
    • 40. A W. F. Edwards: curriculum vitae
    • 41. A. W. F. Edwards: list of scientific publications
    • Appendices: a geometric interpretation of Edwards 2003 Amir Najmi
    • The genetic reification of 'race': a story of two mathematical methods Rasmus Grønfeldt Winther
    • 'My Fisher' A. W. F. Edwards
    • 1963 Antonio's theorem.
      Contributors
    • Rasmus Grønfeldt Winther, Walter Bodmer, Joseph Felsenstein, Rasmus Nielsen, Mark Pagel, Elizabeth Thompson, Ziheng Yang, Warren J. Ewens, Samir Okasha, Maurizio Esposito, Jean-Baptiste Grodwohl, Noah A. Rosenberg, Amir Najmi, A. W. F. Edwards

    • Editor
    • Rasmus Grønfeldt Winther , University of California

      Rasmus Grønfeldt Winther is a philosopher of science, researcher, writer, educator, diver, seeker and explorer. His professional website is available at www.rgwinther.com.