Aristotle's Ladder, Darwin's Tree：The Evolution of Visual Metaphors for Biological Order

LeadingpaleontologistJ.DavidArchibaldexplorestherichhistoryofvisualmetaphorsforbiologicalorderfromancienttimestothepresentandtheirinfluenceonhumans'perceptionoftheirplaceinnature，offeringuncommoninsightintohowwewentfromstandingonthetoprungofthebiologicalladdertoembodyingjustonetinytwigonthetreeoflife.Hebeginswiththeancientbutstillmisguideduseofladderstoshowbiologicalorder，movingthentotheuseoftreestorepresentseasonallifecyclesandgenealogiesbytheRomans.TheearlyChristianChurchthenappropriatedtreestorepresentbiblicalgenealogies.Thelateeighteenthcenturysawthetreereclaimedtovisualizerelationshipsinthenaturalworld，sometimeswithacreationistview，butinotherinstancessuggestingevolution.CharlesDarwin'sOntheOriginofSpecies(1859)exorcisedtheexclusivelycreationistviewofthe"treeoflife，"andhisideassparkedanexplosionoftrees，mostlybyyoungeracolytesinEurope.AlthoughDarwin'sinfluencewanedintheearlytwentiethcentury，bymidcenturyhisideasheldswayonceagainintimeforanotherandevengreaterexplosionoftreebuilding，generatedbythedevelopmentofnewtheoriesonhowtoassembletrees，thebirthofpowerfulcomputing，andtheemergenceofmoleculartechnology.ThroughoutArchibald'sfar-reachingstudy，andwiththeuseofmanyfigures，theevolutionof"treeoflife"iconographybecomesentwinedwithourchangingperceptionoftheworldandourselves.