Adaptation and natural selection : a critique of some current evolutionary thought / George C. Williams, With a new foreword by Richard Dawkins.

Foreword -- Preface (1996) -- Preface -- Introduction -- Natural selection, adaptation, and progress -- Natural selection, ecology, and morphogenesis -- Group selection -- Adaptation of the genetic system -- Reproductive physiology and behavior -- Social adaptations -- Other supposedly group-related adaptations -- The scientific study of adaptation.

Biological evolution is a fact-but the many conflicting theories of evolution remain controversial even today. When Adaptation and Natural Selection was first published in 1966, it struck a powerful blow against those who argued for the concept of group selection-the idea that evolution acts to select entire species rather than individuals. Williams's famous work in favor of simple Darwinism over group selection has become a classic of science literature, valued for its thorough and convincing argument and its relevance to many fields outside of biology. Now with a new foreword by Richard Dawkins, Adaptation and Natural Selection is an essential text for understanding the nature of scientific debate.