蘑菇短视频

A new book from executive director of 蘑菇短视频鈥檚 Highlands Biological Station and professor of biology James Costa sheds new light on a classic work of evolutionary theory from famed naturalist Charles Darwin.

鈥淭he Descent of Man: An Annotated Edition of Darwin鈥檚 Classic Work鈥� was published this April by Princeton University Press, coauthored by Costa and University of Iowa history professor Elizabeth E. Yale.

Darwin's original text, released in 1871 as 鈥淭he Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex,鈥� is his attempt to explain the human origin story and the diversity among human populations with the principles of evolution first outlined in his 1859 work 鈥淥n the Origin of Species.鈥�

 While many of the concepts Darwin conceived are now considered foundational in his field, other conclusions and suppositions, Costa explains, are better understood and critiqued with cultural context, by demythologizing the world鈥檚 most famous biologist and reading accordingly.

鈥淭his book is a natural continuation of this impulse that I鈥檝e had to really delve into seminal works and minds in my field and then try to understand them so that I can then help others understand,鈥� Costa said.

鈥淭he Descent of Man is Darwin鈥檚 second most important and famous book. It鈥檚 a hugely important book in the history of science.

鈥淲e thought that, given the cross-cutting nature of this book, with as much significance to society and culture as to science, that it would be great for a scientist like myself to then team up with a historian to jointly help interpret this book.鈥�

By interpreting these conversations on desire and evolution and purpose for students beyond the immediate realm of biology and by explaining the history underpinning Darwin鈥檚 rhetorical position, Costa and Yale have opened the door for other scholars to engage deeply with those most seminal and out-there ideas in Darwin鈥檚 research.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to help the reader understand the building of the argument and what it鈥檚 based on, but also give a sense of what's modern thinking,鈥� Costa said.

鈥淣ot everything Darwin wrote stood the test of time, and so we want to give a modern reader a sense of where we think he may have been barking up the wrong tree.鈥�

Victorian England saw gender and sex a certain way. Darwin, despite his antislavery stance, wrote with a backdrop belief in Europe鈥檚 cultural superiority.

Annotating 鈥淭he Descent of Man鈥� then certainly has value for the scientific reader interpreting the modern stance, but past that, Costa and Yale鈥檚 work pushes students to reflect on the scientific process as it鈥檚 constructed by the individual.

鈥淭he icons can seem unreal, like some genius up on a pedestal. But what I find interesting is to reflect on how he鈥檚 a guy. He鈥檚 just a person,鈥� Costa said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a flesh-and-blood person who was a friend and a husband and a dad.

鈥淒arwin didn鈥檛 have sophisticated scientific equipment like we have here. He didn鈥檛 have giant research labs 鈥� He had his home, his greenhouse, his gardens, the meadows, the woodlands.鈥�

To acknowledge the humble and experimental nature of Darwin鈥檚 research, to paint the world beyond his woodlands for modern readers, is to humanize the scientific process, and demonstrate how ideas come alive behind the curtain.

鈥淪cience, like anything else we do, is a creative enterprise. It鈥檚 a creative process,鈥� Costa said.

鈥淚t鈥檚 usually not done by individuals per se. It鈥檚 done by individuals in a community 鈥�  There鈥檚 collaboration, there鈥檚 cooperation, there are rivalries also, but there鈥檚 kind of an interesting dynamic process that underscores science as a cultural endeavor.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 valuable for students to understand science that way.鈥�

While Costa describes ample room for further interpretations of Darwin鈥檚 work, he speaks with pride at producing this first annotated edition, understanding the generations of scientists who this year will have better means than ever to understand the 19th century naturalist icon.