In my old text by Futuyma,
Evolutionary Biology, 2nd Ed., he gets right down to the definition of biological evolution on the second page of chapter 1. Futuyma says:
quote:
Thus biological (or organic) evolution is change in the properties of populations of organisms, or groups of such populations, over the course of generations.
Futuyma had previously explained that the properties about which he is speaking are are those "...in which there is hereditary transmission of characteristics, variation owing to mutation, and sorting of variation by several processes." To be a bit more terse, I learned many years ago that evolution is a change in allele frequencies in populations of organisms over generations.
Don't confuse this with theories of evolution. The above is not a theory. It is a definition that was arrived at during the formulation of the modern synthesis. Theories of evolution are explanations of observed phenomena that fit the above definition. For example, observed change without heredity is not evolution.
As for Punk Eek, I'm sure Futuyma will get to it. But PE isn't a theory about the how of evolution like natural selection, genetic drift, gene flow, mutation, non-random mating, recombination, movable elements, or biased variation. Those are theories that offer explanations about the very nature of evolution, about increases and decreases in genetic variability, all of which Futuyma will probably cover in your text (he did in mine in 1998). I think that he will also discuss the defunct theories of saltationism, and the opposite view of gradualism. And he will get to Punk Eek. All of these theories are not about the nature of evolution, but rather the pace of evolution.
By the way, I bought and read
Evolutionary Biology many years after I had completed my education (but not my studies). You see, Futuyma hadn't written any books when I was in school. I'm just a bit older than he.
Get ready for the math. That was one of the things that caused me the most trouble and delay. I had to depend on my children to help me (one a nuclear engineer the other math major) get through that. The study of biology involves a lot more math today than it did in my day.
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