# Is "Ontogeny and Phylogeny" by Stephen Jay Gould a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ontogeny and Phylogeny by Stephen Jay Gould (Belknap Press / Harvard University Press, 1977) is identified by: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press first printing, no statement of a later printing; issued in a priced dust jacket. US true first (Harvard/Belknap).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Belknap Press of Harvard University Press first printing, no statement of a later printing; issued in a priced dust jacket
- Gould's first scholarly monograph
- Publisher imprint reads Belknap Press / Harvard University Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen Jay Gould |
| Publisher | Belknap Press / Harvard University Press |
| Year | 1977 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Belknap Press of Harvard University Press first printing, no statement of a later… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Belknap Press of Harvard University Press first printing, no statement of a later printing; issued in a priced dust jacket. Gould's first scholarly monograph.

## Is this the true first?
US true first (Harvard/Belknap). This is Gould's first technical book; it appeared in 1977, the same year as his first essay collection, and which of the two came first is undetermined.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ontogeny and Phylogeny* by Stephen Jay Gould a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ontogeny-and-phylogeny
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.