Buy new:
$43.99
FREE delivery: Friday, April 26
Ships from: Amazon
Sold by: LoveOfBook
List Price: $49.00 Details

The List Price is the suggested retail price of a new product as provided by a manufacturer, supplier, or seller. Except for books, Amazon will display a List Price if the product was purchased by customers on Amazon or offered by other retailers at or above the List Price in at least the past 90 days. List prices may not necessarily reflect the product's prevailing market price.
Learn more
Save: $5.01 (10%)
FREE Returns
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
$$43.99 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details
Price
Subtotal
$$43.99
Subtotal
Initial payment breakdown
Shipping cost, delivery date, and order total (including tax) shown at checkout.
Ships from
Amazon
Ships from
Amazon
Sold by
LoveOfBook
Sold by
LoveOfBook
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Returns
Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement within 30 days of receipt
This item can be returned in its original condition for a full refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt.
Read full return policy
Payment
Secure transaction
Your transaction is secure
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Payment
Secure transaction
We work hard to protect your security and privacy. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Learn more
Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime
FREE delivery Friday, April 26 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Used: Acceptable | Details
Sold by Goodbooks Company
Fulfilled by Amazon
Condition: Used: Acceptable
Comment: This copy may contain significant wear, including bending, writing, tears, and or water damage. This book is a functional copy, not necessarily a beautiful copy. Copy may have loose or missing pages and may not include access codes or CDs.

Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime.

If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. Learn more about the program.

Access codes and supplements are not guaranteed with used items.
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Stephen Jay Gould
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Ontogeny and Phylogeny Reprint Edition

by Stephen Jay Gould (Author)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 37 ratings
See all formats and editions
{"desktop_buybox_group_1":[{"displayPrice":"$43.99","priceAmount":43.99,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"43","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"99","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"Sd%2FIBx3Jhn16bKTLs23%2BiJvcH7nz9saPeFgeL7rzdlGNJ2RDCkMfnNcX8Gcq0E6SraEKhsH1b%2BK8g8Xz5tF8gPmU7eo8wiXbDh7n2jWgDeF6CURNTeK430U9nVTFm9k9Si%2BIzATxLRzx0EH1N14Dos3mNdC6kr2ivoActYWVsAXFiEbIv%2FoqDMEMm1eERY%2BG","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"NEW","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":0}, {"displayPrice":"$9.73","priceAmount":9.73,"currencySymbol":"$","integerValue":"9","decimalSeparator":".","fractionalValue":"73","symbolPosition":"left","hasSpace":false,"showFractionalPartIfEmpty":true,"offerListingId":"Sd%2FIBx3Jhn16bKTLs23%2BiJvcH7nz9saPRhIqsuzwqCcpTzHIF%2FuWXnqC4jNlX889VUAn9KYq6Z2pxZU90eLObLcbdcQPgUJydyMkp5%2B0PvUk2B%2BgnU7lR1E5BVn0zE6iFhUlOTRqXE0k5GfWWnCwbmc1n%2FtzZdHfyXLw0iIdAFY21Ax3BV104VetewZYQHbH","locale":"en-US","buyingOptionType":"USED","aapiBuyingOptionIndex":1}]}

Purchase options and add-ons

“Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny” was Haeckel’s answer―the wrong one―to the most vexing question of nineteenth-century biology: what is the relationship between individual development (ontogeny) and the evolution of species and lineages (phylogeny)? In this, the first major book on the subject in fifty years, Stephen Jay Gould documents the history of the idea of recapitulation from its first appearance among the pre-Socratics to its fall in the early twentieth century.

Mr. Gould explores recapitulation as an idea that intrigued politicians and theologians as well as scientists. He shows that Haeckel’s hypothesis―that human fetuses with gill slits are, literally, tiny fish, exact replicas of their water-breathing ancestors―had an influence that extended beyond biology into education, criminology, psychoanalysis (Freud and Jung were devout recapitulationists), and racism. The theory of recapitulation, Gould argues, finally collapsed not from the weight of contrary data, but because the rise of Mendelian genetics rendered it untenable.

Turning to modern concepts, Gould demonstrates that, even though the whole subject of parallels between ontogeny and phylogeny fell into disrepute, it is still one of the great themes of evolutionary biology. Heterochrony―changes in developmental timing, producing parallels between ontogeny and phylogeny―is shown to be crucial to an understanding of gene regulation, the key to any rapprochement between molecular and evolutionary biology. Gould argues that the primary evolutionary value of heterochrony may lie in immediate ecological advantages for slow or rapid maturation, rather than in long-term changes of form, as all previous theories proclaimed.

Neoteny―the opposite of recapitulation―is shown to be the most important determinant of human evolution. We have evolved by retaining the juvenile characters of our ancestors and have achieved both behavioral flexibility and our characteristic morphology thereby (large brains by prolonged retention of rapid fetal growth rates, for example).

Gould concludes that “there may be nothing new under the sun, but permutation of the old within complex systems can do wonders. As biologists, we deal directly with the kind of material complexity that confers an unbounded potential upon simple, continuous changes in underlying processes. This is the chief joy of our science.”

Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0674639413
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0674639416
  3. Edition
    Reprint
  4. Publisher
    Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press
  5. Publication date
    January 17, 1985
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6.1 x 1.27 x 9.32 inches
  8. Print length
    520 pages
  9. See all details
Next page
All the Little Raindrops: A Novel
"All the Little Raindrops: A Novel" by Mia Sheridan for $10.39
The chilling story of the abduction of two teenagers, their escape, and the dark secrets that, years later, bring them back to the scene of the crime. | Learn more

Frequently bought together

Ontogeny and Phylogeny
$43.99
Get it as soon as Friday, Apr 26
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Sold by LoveOfBook and ships from Amazon Fulfillment.
+
The Structure of Evolutionary Theory
$39.95
Get it Apr 25 - 30
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Ships from and sold by uncommon_books.
+
Time’s Arrow, Time’s Cycle: Myth and Metaphor in the Discovery of Geological Time (The Jerusalem-Harvard Lectures)
$25.78
Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 25
In Stock
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Details
Added to Cart
Some of these items ship sooner than the others.
Show details Hide details
Choose items to buy together.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“In Gould’s…new book…Ontogeny and Phylogeny, a scholarly study of the theory of recapitulation, he not only explains scientific theory but comments on science itself, with clarity and wit, simultaneously entertaining and teaching… [This] is a rich book.”―James Gorman, New York Times Book Review

“Steven Jay Gould has given us a superb analysis of the use of ontogenetic analogy, the controversies over ontogeny and phylogeny, and the classification of the different processes observable in comparing different ontogenies. His massive book (in each chapter of which there is as much material as in whole books by other writers) is both a historical exposition of the whole subject of ontogeny and phylogeny, and…a fascinating attempt at a functional interpretation of those phylogenetic alterations that involve changes of timing developmental processes in related organisms.”―A. J. Cain, Nature

“This [is a] fat, handsome book crammed with provocative ideas… Ontogeny and Phylogeny is an important and thoughtful book which will be a valuable source of ideas and controversies for anyone interested in evolutionary or developmental biology.”―Matt Cartmill, Science

“It is rare indeed to read a new book and recognize it for a classic… Gould has given biologists a new way to see the organisms they study. The result is a major achievement.”―S. Rachootin, American Scientist

“Gould’s book―pervaded, I should say, with an erudition and felicity of style that make it a delight to read―is a radical work in every sense… It returns one’s attention to the roots of our science―the questions about the great pageant of evolution, the marvelous diversity of form that our theory is meant to explain.”―D. Futuyma, Quarterly Review of Biology

“A distinguished and pioneering work.”―Ernst Mayr

From the Back Cover

In this, the first major book on the subject in fifty years, Stephen Jay Gould documents the history of the idea of recapitulation from its appearance among the pre-Socratics to its demise in the early twentieth century.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Belknap Press: An Imprint of Harvard University Press; Reprint edition (January 17, 1985)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 520 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0674639413
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0674639416
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.69 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 1.27 x 9.32 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Stephen Jay Gould

Stephen Jay Gould

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Stephen Jay Gould (1941-2002) was the Alexander Agassiz Professor of Zoology and Professor of Geology at Harvard University. He published over twenty books, received the National Book and National Book Critics Circle Awards, and a MacArthur Fellowship.

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
37 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Stanley R. Fleming
5.0 out of 5 stars Used Ontogeny and Phylogeny
Reviewed in the United States on July 30, 2009
Verified Purchase
The book purchased was a used copy of Stephen Gould's "Ontogeny and Phylogeny" in paperback. The book was no surprise since I knew what it was. Condition was as advertised, I think, but was excellent at any rate. Delivery was within a reasonable time. So this was a very satisfactory transaction from my point of view, excellent book for a reasonable price within a sensible time period. What else to expect?
Helpful
 Report
Martin A. Moe
5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2014
Verified Purchase
One of the best of Dr. Gould's books, and there are many. Good science very well explained.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Sabri Gokmen
5.0 out of 5 stars Good copy
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2013
Verified Purchase
Excellent copy and shipped fast. This is one of the books that I have been waiting to read. clean book.
Helpful
 Report
Steve Reina
5.0 out of 5 stars The rise and fall of a scientific idea
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2007
"Ontogeny recapitulates philogeny" is the largely defunct theory that as a fetus grows it reprises the collected earlier adult states of its evolutionary forebears.

And this book is not so much about that theory as it is about the history of how the theory was proposed, its influence on other learning and the process of its demise.

In this way, this book is properly bracketed with Steven Pinker's The Blank Slate in its discussion of the all too not empiracal process of empiracal reasoning. Its also reminiscent of Percival Lowell's assertion that canals existed on Mars because just as Lowell largely saw what he was predisposed to see early biologists like those mentioned in this work were themselves predisposed to see what they were predisposed to see.

Yes, the theory rose and fell but perhaps Gould's most telling discussion was in his treatment of how the theory came to misused for educational and political purposes. If the fetus recapitulated its evolutionary past, then perhaps children in prominent countries capitulated in their behavior the cultures of less prominent countries. And so, child's play was just a stage reminiscent of aboriginal social interaction and a child's make believe world was their real life religion.

Deep stuff.

What Gould could have added were the other abuses made on the still existent theory of Darwinian evolution wherein turn of the century aristocrats fancied themselves the socially fittest of the species. Again, we have an example of science placed at the easy service of prejudice.

However, and this is where Gould's discussion gives cause for hope, being a scientific theory it fell because it failed to pass muster with scientific techniques of testing.

And in this way, Gould's book is not so much about the passing of a scientific idea as it is about the use of the technique of empiracal testing and not predisposition to determine truth.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Tom L. Forest
5.0 out of 5 stars Deeply knowledgeable, thoughtful, and philosophical
Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2001
This is one of the three most influential books I've read in the last 20 years.
"The world was a better place when I was young," "Kids today are worse than they were 20 years ago," are two of the more egregious examples I hear of people confusing ontogeny (development of an individual) with phylogeny (development of a type or collective). The world has always been a complicated and widely mixed placed. It is far more likely for an individual's perceptions to change in the course of a lifetime than the world that we perceive.
Gould's essays (and books collecting them) are pleasant bits of fluff that entertainingly (and sneakily) deliver well-informed and timely bits of science. "Ontogeny and Philogeny" goes the next level down, using interesting bits of (mostly) science to deliver well-informed and timely bits of philosophy.
I bought this book because I was curious about the relationship between ontogeny and philogeny. "Does ontogeny recapitulate phylogeny?" was on my mind. No, says Gould. Better, he describes what that relationship is. Along the way, he explains how humans are differentiated from other species (a topic well expanded by Jared Diamond in "The Third Chimpanzee").
Gould starts with the history of science (Lamarck, Ernst Haeckel); philosophy (Anaximander, Aristotle); and psychology (Cesare Lombroso; Freud). He starts by showing the history of the perceived relationship between phylogeny and ontogeny. The illustrative bits of science follow as he discusses heterochrony and paedomophosis, showing how phylogeny relates to ontogeny, which I will grossly oversimplify: ontogeny selectively draws from phylogeny with occasional complete departures that may or may not be helpful (which is also true of the retained bits of phylogeny). The past may be selectively retained, but retaining one part does not necessitate the retention of all parts or even the relationship between the retained parts. Gould takes 409 carefully reasoned and well-written pages to get there. It's worth the trip.
29 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Rivkah Maccaby
5.0 out of 5 stars ontology & phrenology
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2001
Stephen Jay Gould's brilliance is evident as always in his ability to make the esoterics of great science available to people who have not thoroughly studied his field. He doesn't dumb it down, nor remove such huge slices that we are fools walking that dangerous tightrope of a little knowledge. Equal evidence of his genius is his broad base of real knowledge. He knows linguistics, for example; he would recognize that he does not know as much as Noam Chomsky, but he knows a great deal more than the typical lay person.
He uses this knowledge at the beginning of this book to construct a carnival of phrenology and psychoanalysis that gives a social context to his later discussion of ontogeny and phylogeny. Looking at the subject of the title outside of this context would make a reader feel awfully disconnected from the people who believed this. It helps to rememeber that history is the story of a species and its learning process.
One hundred years from now, people may know things that make them skake their heads at our use of protease inhibitors in treating AIDS, CD-ROM's in computer operations, or at the fact that only autistic kids, and not even all of them used weighted vests to develope proprioceptive skills.
The book made me feel superior, and at the same time humbled. No single person is capable of what our species can do as a whole.
4 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Ed Gostyn
5.0 out of 5 stars Um dos dois livros para cientistas
Reviewed in Brazil on August 23, 2023
Verified Purchase
Jay Gould possui dois livros voltados para o público acadêmico: "A Estrutura da Teoria Evolucionista", na qual ele defende sua hipótese do "Evolucionismo Pontual" e este. É um livro mais denso, para quem está acostumado a ler as publicações para o grande público. Mas é um dos grandes clássicos da ciência, comparável talvez, ao próprio livro de Darwin, o qual ele atualiza em muitos aspectos.
Report
Manuel Rodriguez Gonzalez
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfull book
Reviewed in Spain on April 30, 2017
Verified Purchase
Great book full of science and delightful comments. It is not just a boring hard book but a funny one. Also the edition is marvelous. A book to have
Report
Kari Saarvola, s.c.
4.0 out of 5 stars Late Gould has stayed my favorite for years
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2015
Verified Purchase
Basic books; must for every biologist. I used it in my studies about neandertals: the speciation problem. Late Gould has stayed my favorite for years. He has so clear thoughts !!!
Report
Ivan
5.0 out of 5 stars incroyable
Reviewed in France on January 5, 2014
Verified Purchase
C'est un des monuments de Gould. Les recherches historiques et les idées scientifiques sont incroyables. Mais attention, ce n'est pas un des nombreux livres géniaux de vulgarisation que Gould a écrit. Ce livre est réservé à un public averti.
One person found this helpful
 Report
Horacio Raul Perez Garcia
5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinario
Reviewed in Brazil on May 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
Muito interessante do ponto de vista de análise do processo evolutivo
Report