How the Leopard Changed Its Spots
Evolution of Complexity
B. C. Goodwin(Author)
Weidenfeld & Nicolson History (Publisher)
Published on 4. September 1995
Book
Paperback/Softback
240 pages
978-1-85799-251-9 (ISBN)
Description
Darwin's concept of the origin of species by natural selection has been a spectacularly successful and durable scientific theory, but it arguably fails in a basic objective, which is to explain the origins of the qualitative differences of structure between species. Life on earth is described purely in historical terms, with no explanation of how different forms of organisms are generated. This text argues that it is possible to understand evolution as a process that is "pushed" by the intrinsic properties of living matter, rather than "pulled" by natural selection. It shows that seemingly complex structures such as wings or eyes can be built up in a series of simple self-organizing steps, self-organizing in the sense that they arise directly from the chemistry of the developing organism's tissues. In this way, developmental biology acquires the precision of the physical sciences.
More details
Series
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Orion Publishing Co
Target group
College/higher education
Edition type
New edition
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 155 mm
Weight
411 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-85799-251-9 (9781857992519)
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Schweitzer Classification