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Biology's First Law
Daniel W. McShea
€ 94.93
€ 78.49
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Description for Biology's First Law
Hardcover. Life on earth is characterized by three phenomena: adaptation; diversity; and complexity. Natural selection explains adaptation. But what explains diversity and complexity? This book argues that there exists in evolution a spontaneous tendency toward increased diversity and complexity, one that acts whether natural selection is present or not. Num Pages: 184 pages, 2 halftones, 5 line drawings, 1 table. BIC Classification: PSAJ. Category: (UP) Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly; (UU) Undergraduate. Dimension: 229 x 152 x 15. Weight in Grams: 376.
Life on earth is characterized by three striking phenomena that demand explanation: adaptation - the marvelous fit between organism and environment; diversity - the great variety of organisms; and complexity - the enormous intricacy of their internal structure. Natural selection explains adaptation. But what explains diversity and complexity? Daniel W. McShea and Robert N. Brandon argue that there exists in evolution a spontaneous tendency toward increased diversity and complexity, one that acts whether natural selection is present or not. They call this tendency a biological law - the Zero-Force Evolutionary Law, or ZFEL. This law unifies the principles and data ... Read more
Life on earth is characterized by three striking phenomena that demand explanation: adaptation - the marvelous fit between organism and environment; diversity - the great variety of organisms; and complexity - the enormous intricacy of their internal structure. Natural selection explains adaptation. But what explains diversity and complexity? Daniel W. McShea and Robert N. Brandon argue that there exists in evolution a spontaneous tendency toward increased diversity and complexity, one that acts whether natural selection is present or not. They call this tendency a biological law - the Zero-Force Evolutionary Law, or ZFEL. This law unifies the principles and data ... Read more
Product Details
Format
Hardback
Publication date
2010
Publisher
The University of Chicago Press United States
Number of pages
184
Condition
New
Number of Pages
184
Place of Publication
, United States
ISBN
9780226562254
SKU
V9780226562254
Shipping Time
Usually ships in 7 to 11 working days
Ref
99-50
About Daniel W. McShea
Daniel W. McShea is associate professor of biology, with a secondary appointment in philosophy, and Robert N. Brandon is professor of philosophy, with a secondary appointment in biology, both at Duke University.
Reviews for Biology's First Law
"The ZFEL will be obvious to some, heretical to others, so the book will be controversial. But at the same time, the argument is rich enough to convince a skeptic, provided that skeptic is open-minded. A novel contribution of far-reaching importance in evolutionary biology." - Michael Foote, University of Chicago.