Art,
 
Ernst Mayr is considered one of the world's greatest eveoltionary
biologists. He has published some 23 books and 600 scientific articles
dealing not only with this subject but on ornithology and systematics.
Along with Julian Huxley and others he has developed a genetic
understanding of how species adapt to their environment.He was working at
the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, where he was a professor
emeritus but he may have retired by now. One of his more interesting
concepts is that of proximate versus ultimate causations in bilogy.  In an
interview he gve he explained that"the proximate causation is the one that
answers the "how" question. Physiology, molecular biology, and
developmental biology all study proximate causations of how something
works. But then we have the ultimate causations, which ask the "why"
questions. Evolutionary biology, much of ecology, and behavioral biology ar
alll concerned with the why question". Is this interesting or what!
 
And since I am recommending books... try Life. A Natural History of the
First Four Billion Years of Life on Earth, by Richard Fortey. It is an
utterly readable book.
 
Emilio (Garcia)
>    Some time ago, I was refered to the "Growth of Biological
>Thought" by Dr. Mayr. I was refered to one chapter and ended up
>reading the whole book. (I don't claim to have understood it all)
>What I would like to know now is: Who is or was Ernst Mayr? Is there
>biographical information on this Guru? Like you, I was impressed not
>only by the thought and information presented but captured by his
>style.
>       Art
 
Emilio F. Garcia
115 Oak Crest Dr.
Lafayette, LA 70503
USA