{"product_id":"beyond-equilibria-historical-approaches-to-ecology-and-evolution-hardcover","title":"Beyond Equilibria: Historical Approaches to Ecology and Evolution - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eHamish G. Spencer\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEcologists and evolutionary biologists, especially those with theoretical and mathematical leanings, have tended to dismiss historical approaches as descriptive, smacking of particularities, allowing few generalizations (or even being untestable), and even antithetical to scientific explanation. By contrast, the concept of biological equilibrium pervades every aspect of ecology and evolution, from the popular notion of the 'balance of nature' to sophisticated mathematical analyses of critical points in the state space of scientific models. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThis novel book explains the problems associated with an over-reliance on equilibrium-centred explanations, creating a persuasive argument that an explicit consideration of history - i.e. looking beyond the equilibrium - will often lead to a deeper, more nuanced understanding of almost every eco-evolutionary system. The author introduces the concept of 'flavours' of history - the variety of ways in which history can play a critical role in biological processes. Like the flavours of our food, these historical flavours may not always be distinct: they may be blended or overlapping and any number may be present. However, distinguishing between historical flavours is of practical use in explicating ecological and evolutionary phenomena. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeyond Equilibria: Historical Approaches to Ecology and Evolution\u003c\/em\u003e is aimed at a broad audience of graduate students and researchers in ecology and evolution. Although there is extensive discussion of mathematical models, the material is presented in such a way that no detailed knowledge is needed. The book will be particularly suitable for a graduate-level discussion course.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eHamish G. Spencer, \u003cem\u003eSesquicentennial Distinguished Professor, Department of Zoology, University of Otago\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHamish Spencer received his bachelor's degree in mathematics (1982) and his master's degree in zoology (1983) from the University of Auckland. He then studied for his doctorate at Harvard University, supervised by renowned geneticist Richard Lewontin. After graduating in 1988, he moved to the Department of Mathematics \u0026amp; Statistics at the University of Waikato, before taking up a lecturing position at the University of Otago's Department of Zoology, where today he is Sesquicentennial Distinguished Professor. In 2009 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and in 2023 he became a Fellow of the International Science Council.\u003cbr\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 160\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.61 x 9.36 x 6.39 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 15, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47381767127289,"sku":"9780192858993","price":196.65,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/ITYzZ5POEP9780192858993.webp?v=1770087822","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/beyond-equilibria-historical-approaches-to-ecology-and-evolution-hardcover","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}