biology

Niles Eldredge

Niles Eldredge is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Niles Eldredge rather than just read about it. In short: Niles Eldredge ( ELD-rij; born August 25, 1943) is an American biologist and paleontologist, who, along with Stephen Jay Gould, proposed the theory of punctuated equilibrium in 1972. Career and research Education Eldredge began his undergraduate studies in Latin at Columbia University.

Key takeaways

Niles Eldredge belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
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Reproduce the core statement of Niles Eldredge from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Niles Eldredge ( ELD-rij; born August 25, 1943) is an American biologist and paleontologist, who, along with Stephen Jay Gould, proposed the theory of punctuated equilibrium in 1972.

Career and research

Education

Eldredge began his undergraduate studies in Latin at Columbia University. Before completing his degree, he switched to the study of geology under Norman D. Newell. It was at this time that his work at the American Museum of Natural History began under the combined Columbia University-American Museum graduate studies program. Eldredge graduated summa cum laude from Columbia College of Columbia University in 1965, and enrolled in the university's doctoral program while continuing his research at the museum. He completed his PhD in 1969.

Paleontology

In 1969, Eldredge became a curator in the Department of Invertebrates at the American Museum of Natural History, and subsequently a curator in the Invertebrate Paleontology section, a position from which he recently retired. He was also an adjunct professor at the City University of New York. His specialty was the evolution of mid-Paleozoic Phacopida trilobites, a group of extinct arthropods that lived between 543 and 245 million years ago.

Evolutionary theory

Eldredge and Stephen Jay Gould proposed punctuated equilibria in 1972. Punctuated equilibrium is a refinement to evolutionary theory. It describes patterns of descent taking place in "fits and starts" separated by long periods of stability. Eldredge went on to develop a hierarchical vision of evolutionary and ecological systems. Around this time, he became focused on the rapid destruction of many of the world's habitats and species. In his book Unfinished Synthesis (1985), he proposed an extended evolutionary synthesis. Throughout his career, he has used repeated patterns in the history of life to refine ideas on how the evolutionary process actually works. Eldredge is proponent of the importance of environment in explaining the patterns in evolution. Eldredge is a critic of the gene-centered view of evolution. His most recent venture is the development of an alternative account to the gene-based notions of evolutionary psychology to explain human behavior. He has published more than 160 scientific articles, books, and reviews, including Reinventing Darwin, an examination of current controversies in evolutionary biology, and Dominion, a consideration of the ecological and evolutionary past, present, and future of Homo sapiens. As of 2013, Eldredge has been listed on the Advisory Council of the National Center for Science Education.

Publications

Personal life Eldredge enjoys playing jazz trumpet and is an collector of 19th century cornets; he has more than 500 in his home in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Eldredge possesses a chart of the historical development of cornets (the musical instruments), which he uses as a comparison with that of the development of trilobites. The differences between them are meant to highlight the failures of intelligent design by comparing a system that is definitely designed, with a system that is not designed.

Political activism In January 2017, Eldredge became an 'Initiator' for the Refuse Fascism movement launched in the United States just months after the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election. The movement was an effort to deny Barack Obama's successor - Donald Trump - from taking office on Inauguration Day (January 20, 2017). The group's aim was to 'stop the Trump-Pence regime before it starts.'

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Niles Eldredge

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Niles Eldredge claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Niles Eldredge before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Niles Eldredge ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Niles Eldredge

In research: Niles Eldredge appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Niles Eldredge in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Niles Eldredge is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1943 births, American critics of creationism, American evolutionary biologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Niles Eldredge outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Niles Eldredge in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Niles Eldredge means in your own words.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Niles Eldredge in simple terms?

Niles Eldredge ( ELD-rij; born August 25, 1943) is an American biologist and paleontologist, who, along with Stephen Jay Gould, proposed the theory of punctuated equilibrium in 1972. Career and research Education Eldredge began his undergraduate studies in Latin at Columbia University.

Why does Niles Eldredge matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Niles Eldredge?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Niles Eldredge.