Joan Roughgarden
Joan E. Roughgarden (b. Jonathan Roughgarden in Paterson, New Jersey, on March 13, 1946) is an American evolutionary biologist.
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[edit] Biography
Roughgarden received a Bachelor of Science in biology and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from University of Rochester 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.[1] Prior to that time she was identified as a male named Jonathan Roughgarden.
[edit] Work
Roughgarden has taught at Stanford University 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.[2] Evolution's Rainbow served as a major inspiration for the Against Nature? exhibition.[citation needed]
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.[3]
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 [4], Roughgarden has written on the relationship between Christianity and science.[5] 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.[6] She attended and was a speaker at the Beyond Belief symposium in November 2006.
[edit] 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.
[edit] Awards
- Stonewall Book Award, 2005
[edit] References
- ^ "Joan Roughgarden profile: A plea for diversity". http://joandistrict6.com/nature-profile.html. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
- ^ Jonah Lehrer. "The Effeminate Sheep". Seed (June/July 2006). Reprinted in Richard Preston, ed. (2007). The Best American Science and Nature Writing. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780618722310.
- ^ "Sexual selection alternative slammed". http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/23358/. Retrieved 2007-05-15.
- ^ http://www.nybooks.com/articles/19775
- ^ "First Congregational Church of Berkeley: Event Details". http://www.fccb.org/programs/details.php?eventID=190. Retrieved 2006-09-19.
- ^ Roughgarden, Joan. Evolution and Christian Faith: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist. Washington D.C.: Island Press, 2006.
[edit] 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 Wright on Bloggingheads.tv
- American academics
- American science writers
- American ecologists
- American women writers
- Women biologists
- Evolutionary biologists
- Harvard University alumni
- LGBT Christians
- People from Paterson, New Jersey
- Converts to Christianity
- University of Rochester alumni
- 1946 births
- Living people
- Sexual orientation and science
- Stanford University faculty
- Transgender and transsexual writers
- LGBT writers from the United States
- Transgender and transsexual scientists
