Biology's First Law

Biology's First Law
Author: Daniel W. McShea
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2010-07-15
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0226562271


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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.


Biology's First Law
Language: en
Pages: 186
Authors: Daniel W. McShea
Categories: Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2010-07-15 - Publisher: University of Chicago Press

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Life on earth is characterized by three striking phenomena that demand explanation: adaptation—the marvelous fit between organism and environment; diversity�
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In this Element, we extend our earlier treatment of biology's first law. The law says that in any evolutionary system in which there is variation and heredity,