If evolution is the non miraculous scientific explanation for the origin of species it will come as no surprise that the original problem that led to the development of evolutionary theory was the search for natural secondary causes to explain the origin of the modern biota the living species of animals plants and fungi. Niles eldredges book eternal ephemera 2015 is about the evolution of evolution his narrative pulls together quite nicely the entire history of biological evolution a topic i touch on in a world perspective through 21st century eyes in the context of the first of a series of evolutions affecting humanity followed by cultural evolution and then technological evolution. The book revisits darwins early insights into evolution in south america and his later synthesis of his knowledge into the theory of the origin of species it then considers the ideas of more recent evolutionary thinkers such as george gaylord simpson ernst mayr and theodosius dobzhansky as well as niles eldredge and steven jay gould who developed the concept of punctuated equilibria. Eternal ephemera adaptation and the origin of species from the nineteenth century through punctuated equilibria and beyond author niles eldredge edition illustrated reprint publisher. The university of chicago press books division chicago distribution center