 |
|
|
Item Details
| Title:
|
BIOLOGY'S FIRST LAW
THE TENDENCY FOR DIVERSITY AND COMPLEXITY TO INCREASE IN EVOLUTIONARY SYSTEMS |
| By: |
Daniel W. McShea, Robert N. Brandon |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| List price:
|
£80.00 |
| Our price: |
£72.00 |
| Discount: |
|
| You save:
|
£8.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
| ISBN 10: |
0226562255 |
| ISBN 13: |
9780226562254 |
| Availability: |
Usually dispatched within 1-3 weeks.
 Delivery
rates
|
| Stock: |
Currently 0 available |
| Publisher: |
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS |
| Pub. date: |
9 July, 2010 |
| Pages: |
184 |
| Description: |
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. |
| Synopsis: |
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 of biology under a single framework and invites a reconceptualization of the field of the same sort that Newton's First Law brought to physics. "Biology's First Law" shows how the ZFEL can be applied to the study of diversity and complexity and examines its wider implications for biology.Intended for evolutionary biologists, paleontologists, and other scientists studying complex systems, and written in a concise and engaging format that speaks to students and interdisciplinary practitioners alike, this book will also find an appreciative audience in the philosophy of science. |
| Illustrations: |
2 halftones, 5 line drawings, 1 table |
| Publication: |
US |
| Imprint: |
University of Chicago Press |
| Returns: |
Returnable |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Little Worried Caterpillar (PB)
Little Green knows she''s about to make a big change - transformingfrom a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly. Everyone is VERYexcited! But Little Green is VERY worried. What if being a butterflyisn''t as brilliant as everyone says?Join Little Green as she finds her own path ... with just a littlehelp from her friends.
|
|
All the Things We Carry PB
What can you carry?A pebble? A teddy? A bright red balloon? A painting you''ve made?A hope or a dream?This gorgeous, reassuring picture book celebrates all the preciousthings we can carry, from toys and treasures to love and hope. With comforting rhymes and fabulous illustrations, this is a warmhug of a picture book.
|
|
|
|