Outputs

Articles, Chapters and Reviews

Forthcoming or in press

"Biased, Spasmodic and Ridiculously Incomplete: Sequence Stratigraphy and the Emergence of a New Approach to Stratigraphic Complexity in Paleobiology, 1973–1995." Journal of the History of Biology.

"Deep Time: Historical and Philosophical Perspectives." In Time and Science, ed. P. Harris and R. Lestienne. World Scientific Publishing Co. (pdf, penultimate version)

"William Whewell and the Palætiological Sciences." In William Whewell: Victorian Polymath, ed. L.M. Verburgt. University of Pittsburgh Press. (pdf, penultimate version)

"Integrated History and Philosophy of Science." In Debating Contemporary Approaches to the History of Science, ed. L.M. Verburgt. London: Bloomsbury.

"Response to Hasok Chang." In Debating Contemporary Approaches to the History of Science, ed. L.M. Verburgt. London: Bloomsbury.

2023

"Teleonomy: Revisiting a Proposed Conceptual Replacement for Teleology." Biological Theory, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13752-022-00424-y.

“Actualism and Uniformitarianism: From Abstract Commitments to Forms of Practice.” Philosophy of Science, https://doi.org/10.1017/psa.2022.101

"How Fossils Become Specimens." Review of Preparing Dinosaurs: The Work Behind the Science, by Caitlin Wylie. Metascience, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11016-023-00842-z.

Review of Endlings: Fables for the Anthropocene, by Lydia Pyne. The Quarterly Review of Biology.

2022

"Uniformitarianism Re-examined, or the Present is the Key to the Past, Except When it Isn't (and Even Then it Kind of is)," Perspectives on Science, https://doi.org/10.1162/posc_a_00573. (Preprint available online)

"The Interdisciplinary Entanglement of Characterization and Explanation." With Alan C. Love. The British Journal for Philosophy of Science, https://doi.org/10.1086/720414. (Preprint available online)

"Organizing Interdisciplinary Research on Purpose." With Alan C. Love. BioScience, https://doi.org/10.1093/biosci/biab128.

2021

"Measuring Time with Fossils: A Start-Up Problem in Scientific Practice," Philosophy of Science, https://doi.org/10.1086/714855. (pdf)

"Explaining the Apocalypse: The End-Permian Mass Extinction and the Dynamics of Explanation in Geohistory," Synthese, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11229-021-03254-w. (pdf)

“Tales from the Extinction Imaginary.” Review of Catastrophic Thinking: Extinction and the Value of Diversity from Darwin to the Anthropocene, by David Sepkoski. Metascience,  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11016-021-00676-7.

Review of The Biological Universe: Life in the Milky Way and Beyond, by Wallace Arthur. The Quarterly Review of Biology,  https://doi.org/10.1086/714468.

2020

"History and Philosophy of Science After the Practice-Turn: From Inherent Tension to Local Integration," Studies in History and Philosophy of Science, Part A, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsa.2020.01.001. (pdf)

"Re-Forming Morphology: Two Attempts to Rehabilitate the Problem of Form in the First Half of the Twentieth Century," Journal of the History of Biology, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10739-020-09603-8. (pdf)

"Models in Ecology: Ubiquitous, Idealized, Useful." Review of Ecological Models, by Jay Odenbaugh.  With Daniel Stanton. Metascience, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11016-020-00554-8.

"The World View of a Biologist." Review of The Selfish Ape: Human Nature and Our Path to Extinction, by Nicholas Money. Metascience, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11016-020-00498-z.

2019

"Gould's Laws: A Second Perspective," Biology & Philosophy, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10539-019-9698-7. (pdf)

"Macroevolution Evolving: Punctuated Equilibria and the Roots of Stephen Jay Gould’s Second Macroevolutionary Synthesis,"  Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Science, Part C, 75: 15–23. (pdf)

“Rehabilitating the Historical Sciences.”  Review of Rock, Bone and Ruin: An Optimist’s Guide to the Historical Sciences, by Adrian Currie.  Metascience, 28: 143–146.

2018

Review of Natural Kinds and Classification in Scientific Practice, edited by Catherine Kendig. With Alan C. Love. HOPOS, 8: 217–222. 

“Community Ecology Made Easy.”  Review of The Theory of Ecological Communities, by Mark Vellend. With Jake J. Grossman. Metascience, 27: 283–286.

2017

"Before Hierarchy: The Rise and Fall of Stephen Jay Gould’s First Macroevolutionary Synthesis,” History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences, 39: 1–30.  (pdf)

“Luck Versus Cunning.” Review of Organisms, Agency and Evolution, by Denis M. Walsh. Metascience, 27: 79–82. 

Review of The Life Organic: The Theoretical Biology Club and the Roots of Epigenetics, by Erik L. Peterson. Journal of the History of Biology, 50: 273–275.

Select Presentations

2023

"The Role of Conceptual Models in Ecosystem Conservation: Motivations and Challenges." (With M. Bennett McNulty and Lauren Wilson.) Talk delivered (by McNulty) at the conference, Integrating the History and Philosophy of Biodiversity. October 20. Brussels, Belgium.

"Punctuated Equilibria in the Twenty-First Century: Coming to Grips with a Complex Legacy." Talk delivered at the biennial meeting of the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB). July 10. Toronto, Canada.

"Goddess in the Details." Talk delivered at Philosophy and Biology Shops Talks (PaBST) 2023. June 8, Greensboro, NC.

"From Problematica to Puzzles: How Cladism Reformed the Cambrian Explosion and Built Character Analysis into the Foundation of Paleontological Systematics." (With Adrian Currie.) Talk delivered (by Currie) at the conference, Traits of Contention: Character Identification Comparative Thinking in Evolutionary, Developmental, and Behavioural Biology. May 26, 2023. Leuven, Belgium.

2022

"Mapping the Teleological Landscape: Epistemic Precision with Scientific Payoff." (With Alan C. Love.) Talk delivered at the biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association. November 13, Pittsburgh, PA. (slides)

"Punctuated Equilibria During the 1970s: Between Biological Improvement and Irreducible Hierarchy." Talk accepted but not delivered (personal reasons) at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA). October 10, Denver, CO. (slides)

"On Models and Drill-Holes: Abstract and Concrete Approaches in Stratigraphy." Talk delivered at Modelling in the Geosciences ocnference. September 23, online/synchronous. (slides)

"Biased, Spasmodic and Ridiculously Incomplete: Sequence Stratigraphy and the Emergence of a New Approach to Stratigraphic Complexity in Paleobiology." Talk delivered at The Future of the Past conference. August 9, online/synchronous. (slides)

"Release the Kraken? Well-Controlled and Dangerous Speculation in Geohistory." Talk delivered at the biennial meeting of the Society for Philosophy of Science in Practice (SPSP). July 5, Ghent, Belgium. (slides)

“Uniformitarianism Re-examined, or the Present is the Key to the Past, Except When it Isn't (and Even Then it Kind of is).” Talk delivered at the Notre Dame History and Philosophy of Science, Technology and Values (ND HPSTV) Conference. March 26, South Bend, IN. (slides)

"Commentary on 'Ecosystem Functions: An Organizational Perspective,' by Emiliano Sfara." International Postdoc Forum, University of Minnesota. February 4, online/synchronous. (slides)

2021

"Extending Evolutionary Theory: Domains and Challenges." Talk delivered at the biennial meeting of the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology (ISHPSSB). July 15, online/synchronous. (slides)

"Time, Life and Environment: Practices of Geohistory at the Intersection of the Earth and Life Sciences (PhD defense seminar)." University of Minnesota. July 5, online/synchronous. (slides)

"Measuring Time with Fossils: A Start-Up Practice in Stratigraphic Geology." Talk delivered at the Emerging Minds Colloquium Series, Rotman Institute of Philosophy. March 5, online/synchronous. (slides)

2020

"Measuring Time with Fossils: A Start-Up Problem in Scientific Practice." Talk to be delivered at the biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association (postponed: COVID 19), Baltimore, MD. (slides)

"Commentary on 'Etiological Kinds,' by Muhammed Ali Khalidi," at The American Philosophical Association (APA) Central Division Annual Meeting. February 28, Chicago, IL.

2019

"Growth, Form and Evolution: Stephen Jay Gould Before (and After) Punctuated Equilibria." Talk delivered at the biennial Meeting of the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology. July 9, Oslo, Norway. (slides)

"History and Philosophy of Science After the Practice-Turn: From Inherent Tension to Local Integration." Paper read at the University of Minnesota, Department of Philosophy Works-in-Progress Meeting. March 25, Minneapolis, MN.

2018

“An Erotetic Structure for Ecology: Coherence, Control and Progress.” Talk delivered at the biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association. November 2, Seattle, WA. (slides)

Commentary on “Stranger in a Strange Land: An Optimal-Environments Account of Evolutionary Mismatch,” by Rick Morris, at The American Philosophical Association (APA) Central Division Annual Meeting. February 21, Chicago, IL.

2017

“Concepts as Tools: The Case of Niche Construction.” Talk delivered at the Meeting of the International Society for the History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Biology. July 18, Sao Paolo, Brazil. (slides)

“Rethinking the Diversity Problem in Philosophy.” Talk delivered at the Weekly Meeting of the Department of Philosophy, University of Minnesota. October 30, Minneapolis, MN.