May (Web-only) 2002

ARTICLE TOOLS

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The circumstances were ridiculously improbable—like the chances of Ted Williams hitting a home run in the last at bat of his long career in the majors. Stephen Jay Gould had just published two books, reflecting two sides of his professional life. One was his scientific magnum opus, The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, a volume of close to 1,500 pages. Here was the Gould who had influenced the field of evolutionary theory since he and his fellow paleontologist Niles Eldredge challenged the neo-Darwinian consensus in 1972 with their theory of "punctuated equilibria."

Gould and Eldredge argued that the evidence simply didn't support the model of infinitely gradual incremental change over the eons of deep time. No; while small-scale change certainly proceeded thus, the real action—the sort of thing people have in mind when they argue about "evolution"—took place in fits and starts and at various promptings outside the everyday mechanisms of natural selection: even as far outside as the impact of a giant meteor, for instance. Their theory was extremely controversial when first proposed and remains in dispute today, though subsequent evidence seems to favor Gould and Eldredge, and many evolutionary thinkers accept some variant of punctuated equilibria.

As for creationists, they liked to cite the debate as evidence that Darwinism was imploding. Alas, as usually presented, this was a gross distortion—a pity, since there was an important core of truth to the notion. And that, in turn, is why many of Gould's fellow scientists never forgave him. He had provided aid and comfort to the enemy!

Then there were those who recognized that Gould was no friend to the creationists but who despised him anyway, perhaps out of ...