Mr. Darwin Misread
Miss Peacock's Mind

by Merle Jacobs

• How do animals "think"?
• How do they select their mates?
• Do wild animals obey the laws of energy conservation as they adapt to nature?
• What implications does this have for all living organisms?

This book is about simple things -- such as birds, fish, and insects. It relates years of careful observations of nature, as well as times of reflection on what those observations mean. The book critiques Charles Darwin's idea that female animals (including birds, insects, fish) select mates on the basis of beauty for the sake of beauty. Indeed, the book questions whether the non-human mind is capable of abstract aesthetics. The intent of this work is to promote an understanding of nature and our place as humans among all earthly creatures.

Also presented in this book are some new ideas about the role of colorful pigments of animals as related to adaptation to the earth's environments. Further, the book reviews the histories of evolution, sexual selection, and animal psychology. The aim is to yield balanced and integrated interpretations of life on this planet. Mr. Darwin Misread Miss Peacock's Mind attempts to bring genetics, aesthetics, and dietetics under one umbrella.

The book is intended for the general reader, naturalists, and birders, as well as specialists in the fields of evolution, ecology, animal behavior (particularly sexual selection), behavioral and biochemical genetics, and psychology.