Below is a link to the forthcoming précis of a book accepted for Multiple Book Review in Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS). PRECIS OF: Evolution in Four Dimensions by Eva Jablonka & Marion J. Lamb Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS), is an international, interdisciplinary journal providing Open Peer Commentary on important and controversial current research in the biobehavioral and cognitive sciences. Please note that it is the *BOOK*, not the precis, that is to be reviewed. Reviewers must be BBS Associates or nominated by a BBS Associate. To be considered as a reviewer for this book, to suggest other appropriate reviewers, or for information about how to become a BBS Associate, please reply to this call no later than December 28, 2006: calls(a)bbsonline.org The Calls are sent to 10,000 BBS Associates, so there is no expectation (indeed, it would be calamitous) that each recipient should comment on every occasion! 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(Note: Please do not simply indicate that we have your expertise information in our records. We request this information in order to simplify and thus, speed up the selection process.) ======================================================================= _______________________________________________________________________ PRÉCIS OF BOOK: Evolution in Four Dimensions AUTHORS: Eva Jablonka* & Marion J. Lamb *Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas ABSTRACT: In his theory of evolution, Darwin recognized that the conditions of life play a role in the generation of hereditary variations, as well as in their selection. However, as evolutionary theory was developed further, heredity became identified with genetics and variation was seen in terms of combinations of randomly generated gene mutations. We argue that this view is now changing, because it is clear that a notion of hereditary variation that is based solely on randomly varying genes that are unaffected by developmental conditions is an inadequate basis for evolutionary theories. Such a view not only fails to provide satisfying explanations of many evolutionary phenomena, it also makes assumptions that are not consistent with the data that are emerging from disciplines ranging from molecular biology to cultural studies. These data show that the genome is far more responsive to the environment than previously thought, and that not all transmissible variation is underlain by genetic differences. In Evolution in Four Dimensions we identify four types of inheritance (genetic, epigenetic, behavioural, and symbol-based), each of which can provide variations on which natural selection will act. Some of these variations arise in response to developmental conditions, so there are Lamarckian aspects to evolution. We argue that a better insight into evolutionary processes will result from recognizing that transmitted variations that are not based on DNA differences have played a role. This is particularly true for understanding the evolution of human behaviour, where all four dimensions of heredity have been important. KEYWORDS: cultural evolution, Darwinism, directed mutations, epigenetic inheritance, evolutionary psychology, information transmission, Lamarckism, language evolution, memes, social learning FULL TEXT: http://www.bbsonline.org/Preprints/Jablonka-10132006/Referees/ ** Please reply to this call no later than December 28, 2006 ** ====================================================================== *** SUPPLEMENTARY ANNOUNCEMENT *** (1) Call for Book Nominations for BBS Multiple Book Review In the past, Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS) had only been able to do 1-2 BBS multiple book treatments per year, because of our limited annual page quota. 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