Joan Roughgarden
Encyclopedia
Joan E. Roughgarden is an American
evolutionary biologist.
in 1968 and a Ph.D. in biology from Harvard University
in 1971. She is the author of 5 books and over 120 articles.
She came out as a transsexual woman at age 52. Prior to that time she was identified as a male named Jonathan Roughgarden. In essence, Jonathan Roughgarden left on sabbatical; Joan Roughgarden returned to the same job and title. On her return, she shed some administrative responsibilities.
since 1972. She founded and directed the Earth Systems Program at Stanford and has received awards for service to undergraduate education. Roughgarden's current research links ecology
with economic theory.
In addition to an ecology textbook written with Paul R. Ehrlich
, Roughgarden published a 2004 challenge to certain tenets of sexual selection
titled Evolution's Rainbow (2004): a proposed correction to Darwin's explanation of the mechanism of selection, rejecting his sexual selection theory, based on instances in which animals do not follow traditional sex roles where the male attempts to impress the female, and the female chooses her mate. It also contains a literature survey on unexpected sexual behavior in many species of animals. Evolution's Rainbow served as a major inspiration for the Against Nature?
exhibition.
An article published by her lab on these ideas received criticism in the pages of the journal Science
. Forty scientists produced ten critical letters: one of the critical scientists said that the paper was "completely shoddy science and poor scholarship". However, Roughgarden, quoted as being "not altogether surprised" by the volume of dissent, argued that her team had replied to most of the criticisms.
In The Genial Gene (2009) the case against sexual-selection theory is continued and social-selection theory presented as an alternative. It claims to explain a list of 26 phenomena not explained by current sexual-selection theory. According to Roughgarden, all answers in the neo-Darwinian sexual selection theory ultimately derive from a common view of natural behavior predicated on the selfish-gene concept, competition and deception, whereas the social-selection theory ultimately derives from teamwork, honesty, and genetic equality.
A convert to Christianity , Roughgarden has written on the relationship between Christianity and science. Her book Evolution and Christian Faith: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist reinterprets scripture passages commonly used to oppose evolution
to emphasize her belief that the Bible does not conflict with evolutionary biology and relates Christianity and evolution by asserting that all life is interconnected, as members of a faith community are connected. Roughgarden opposes the theories of creationism
and intelligent design
, but asserts her belief in God's involvement in evolution. She attended and was a speaker at the Beyond Belief
symposium in November 2006.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
evolutionary biologist.
Biography
Roughgarden received a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from University of RochesterUniversity of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
in 1968 and a Ph.D. in biology from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1971. She is the author of 5 books and over 120 articles.
She came out as a transsexual woman at age 52. Prior to that time she was identified as a male named Jonathan Roughgarden. In essence, Jonathan Roughgarden left on sabbatical; Joan Roughgarden returned to the same job and title. On her return, she shed some administrative responsibilities.
Work
Roughgarden has taught at Stanford UniversityStanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
since 1972. She founded and directed the Earth Systems Program at Stanford and has received awards for service to undergraduate education. Roughgarden's current research links ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
with economic theory.
In addition to an ecology textbook written with Paul R. Ehrlich
Paul R. Ehrlich
Paul Ralph Ehrlich is an American biologist and educator who is the Bing Professor of Population Studies in the department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University and president of Stanford's Center for Conservation Biology. By training he is an entomologist specializing in Lepidoptera , but...
, Roughgarden published a 2004 challenge to certain tenets of sexual selection
Sexual selection
Sexual selection, a concept introduced by Charles Darwin in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, is a significant element of his theory of natural selection...
titled Evolution's Rainbow (2004): a proposed correction to Darwin's explanation of the mechanism of selection, rejecting his sexual selection theory, based on instances in which animals do not follow traditional sex roles where the male attempts to impress the female, and the female chooses her mate. It also contains a literature survey on unexpected sexual behavior in many species of animals. Evolution's Rainbow served as a major inspiration for the Against Nature?
Against Nature?
Against Nature? is an exhibition on homosexuality in animals made by the Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway. The exhibition focuses on occurrence and function of homosexuality in animals, and is the first of its kind....
exhibition.
An article published by her lab on these ideas received criticism in the pages of the journal Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
. Forty scientists produced ten critical letters: one of the critical scientists said that the paper was "completely shoddy science and poor scholarship". However, Roughgarden, quoted as being "not altogether surprised" by the volume of dissent, argued that her team had replied to most of the criticisms.
In The Genial Gene (2009) the case against sexual-selection theory is continued and social-selection theory presented as an alternative. It claims to explain a list of 26 phenomena not explained by current sexual-selection theory. According to Roughgarden, all answers in the neo-Darwinian sexual selection theory ultimately derive from a common view of natural behavior predicated on the selfish-gene concept, competition and deception, whereas the social-selection theory ultimately derives from teamwork, honesty, and genetic equality.
A convert to Christianity , Roughgarden has written on the relationship between Christianity and science. Her book Evolution and Christian Faith: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist reinterprets scripture passages commonly used to oppose evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
to emphasize her belief that the Bible does not conflict with evolutionary biology and relates Christianity and evolution by asserting that all life is interconnected, as members of a faith community are connected. Roughgarden opposes the theories of creationism
Creationism
Creationism is the religious beliefthat humanity, life, the Earth, and the universe are the creation of a supernatural being, most often referring to the Abrahamic god. As science developed from the 18th century onwards, various views developed which aimed to reconcile science with the Genesis...
and intelligent design
Intelligent design
Intelligent design is the proposition that "certain features of the universe and of living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, not an undirected process such as natural selection." It is a form of creationism and a contemporary adaptation of the traditional teleological argument for...
, but asserts her belief in God's involvement in evolution. She attended and was a speaker at the Beyond Belief
Beyond Belief: Science, Religion, Reason and Survival
Beyond Belief: Science, Religion, Reason and Survival, the first of The Science Network's annual Beyond Belief symposia, held from November 5 to November 7, 2006, was described by the New York Times, as "a free-for-all on science and religion," which seemed at times like "the founding convention...
symposium in November 2006.
Selected bibliography
- Roughgarden, Joan. The Genial Gene: Deconstructing Darwinian Selfishness. Hardcover ed. University of California Press, 2009 ISBN 978-0-520-25826-6
- Roughgarden, Joan. Evolution and Christian Faith: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist. Hardcover ed. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 2006. ISBN 1-59726-098-3
- Roughgarden, Joan. Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender and Sexuality in Nature and People. Paperback ed. Los Angeles: Univ. of California Press, 2004. ISBN 0-520-24073-1
- Roughgarden, Joan. Theory of Population Genetics and Evolutionary Ecology: an Introduction. 1st ed. Prentice Hall, 1979.
- Roughgarden, Joan. Primer of Ecological Theory. 1st ed. Prentice Hall, 1997.
- Roughgarden, Jonathan. Anolis Lizards of the Caribbean: Ecology, Evolution and Plate Tectonics. Hardcover ed. Oxford Univ. Press, 1995.
- Roughgarden, Jonathan, May, Robert M., and Levin, Simon A. (eds.). Perspectives in Ecological Theory. Oxford Univ. Press, 1995.
- Ehrlich, Paul R., and Roughgarden, Jonathan. Science of Ecology. Hardcover ed. Prentice Hall, 1987.
External links
- Joan Roughgarden profile – Stanford Univ.
- Joan Roughgarden 50-min interv. – Web Radio (Gender Talk)
- Seed Magazine article on sexual selection theory
- JoanDistrict6.com – Site featuring content by Roughgarden
- Video (with mp3 available) of conversation with Roughgarden and Robert WrightRobert Wright (journalist)Robert Wright is an American journalist, scholar, and prize-winning author of best-selling books about science, evolutionary psychology, history, religion, and game theory, including The Evolution of God, Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny, The Moral Animal, and Three Scientists and Their Gods:...
on Bloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tv is a political, world events, philosophy, and science video blog discussion site in which the participants take part in an active back and forth conversation via webcam which is then broadcast online to viewers...