Definition: South African paleontologist Elisabeth Vrba is best known for her theory concerning the process of evolution called the Turnover Pulse Hypothesis. She is also known for the 1982 article she wrote with Stephen Jay Gould explaining the notion of 'exaptation', which refers to when a trait evolved for one purpose gets used for another (such as feathers, which were originally evolved for warmth and eventually used for flying). Educated at the University of Cape Town, Vrba is currently Professor of Geology and Geophysics and Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology and Vertebrate Zoology at Yale.
Stephen Jay Gould and Elisabeth Vrba. 1982. Exaptation: a missing term in the science of form. Paleobiology 8(1)4-15.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Additional sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar.
Stephen Jay Gould and Elisabeth Vrba. 1982. Exaptation: a missing term in the science of form. Paleobiology 8(1)4-15.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Additional sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar.
