
Mechanisms of Evolution
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Content
- Intro
- Mechanisms of Evolution
- Mechanisms of Evolution
- Contents
- Preface
- Chapter 1
- Introduction
- Some Challenging Questions About Evolution
- What a Wonderful World
- Mankind in the Universe
- The Dethroning of Man
- Mankind's Uniqueness in the Universe
- Principles of Evolution
- Patterns in Nature
- Superstitious Patterns
- Patterns in Nature
- A Calendar of Evolution
- The Logarithmic Calendar
- An Outline of the Content of the Book
- Chapter 2
- The Discovery of Evolution
- The Age of the World
- Patterns in Fossils
- What Have Embryos to Do with Fossils?
- Gradual Notions of Evolutionary Change
- The Biogenetic Law
- The Human Body
- Are Also Animals Like God?
- Dissections
- Andreas Vesalius
- Michelangelo
- René Descartes
- Descartes' Enigmatic Death
- Genetic Similarities
- Darwin's Theory
- Darwin's Ideas on Embryology
- Common Ancestry
- Development
- Evolutionary Developmental Biology
- Heterochrony
- Condensation and Terminal Addition
- Chapter 3
- A Fundamental Mechanism of Evolution
- The Correlation between Development and Evolution
- A Clarifying Illustration of the Correlation
- A Quantitative Illustration of the Correlation
- The Time Axes of the Diagram
- The Empirical Data
- Uncertainties
- How the Linearity of the Line Is Preserved Over Time
- A Mathematical Analysis of the Regularity of Correlation
- Condensation as a Consequence of the Correlation
- Numerical Examples
- Condensation as a Central Mechanism
- The Common Point
- The Retrospective Perspective
- A Comparison between Physical and Biological Processes
- An Illustration of Condensation
- Acceleration, Condensation, and Terminal Addition
- Summary
- Chapter 4
- The Cause of Condensation
- Development and Evolution
- Terminal Addition
- Iteration
- Feedback
- The Mechanism of Condensation
- A Mathematical Analysis
- Interpretations
- Result of the Mathematical Analysis
- Summary
- Chapter 5
- The Principle of Selection
- The Origin of Life
- The Origin of Evolution
- Selection, the Primary Mechanism of Evolution
- Different Kinds of Selection
- Natural Selection
- Sexual Selection
- Arms Race
- Non-Adaptive Selection
- Intrinsic Selection
- Selection for Efficiency
- Condensation as Accomplished by Intrinsic Selection
- Intrinsic Selection and Progress
- Examples
- The Evolution of the Eye
- The Heart
- The Kidneys
- The Evolution of the Brain
- The Evolution of Somatic Traits
- The Evolution of Habits and Behaviors
- Summary
- Chapter 6
- Cultural Evolution
- Life and Culture
- A Survey of Cultural Evolution
- Biological and Cultural Evolution
- The Rate of Cultural Evolution
- What about the Missing Link?
- Feedback in Cultural Evolution
- The Enhancement of the Efficiency of Cultural Elements
- The Evolution of Stone Tools
- The Evolution of Religions
- Intrinsic Selection as the Mechanism of Cultural Evolution
- The Evolution of Verbal Language
- Is Language a Product of Natural Selection?
- Meme-Gene Coevolution
- Imitation
- Feedback
- Motherese
- Sexual Selection
- Selection for Increased Efficiency of Language Acquisition
- The Correlation between Individual Acquisition of Language and Its Evolution
- The Evolution of Knowledge
- Is the Environment Suitable for the Child?
- Common Mechanisms of Cultural and Organic Evolution
- Summary
- Chapter 7
- The Evolution of Science
- Science History in Children's Development
- Technology
- Analogies between Organic and Scientific Evolution
- The Mechanism of the Evolution of Science
- The Correlation between Children's Learning of Science and the Growth of Science
- The Condensation of the Learning of Science
- The Education of Scientists
- Summary
- Chapter 8
- Complexity
- Intelligent Design
- What Is Complexity and How Is It Achieved?
- Some Scientists' View of Complexity
- The Definition of Complexity
- The Legacy of Past Developments
- Increasing Complexity and Natural Selection
- Is Complexity Driven by Natural Selection?
- Parasites
- Summary
- Chapter 9
- The Measurement of Complexity
- The Line of Figure 4 as a Representation of Complexity
- Restrictions of the Model
- The Measurement of Complexity
- Complexity versus Time-A Quantitative Approach
- Computer Simulations
- The Developmental Growth
- Results of the Computer Simulations
- Culture as a Continuous Extension of Organic Evolution
- A Question of Scientific Methodology
- Summary
- Chapter 10
- Mechanisms of Evolution
- The Tree of Life
- All Life Histories in One Diagram
- The Pattern of Life
- Dawkins's Model
- Competition in the Complexity Space
- The Ratchet Mechanism
- The Drunkard's Walk
- The Diversity of Life
- The Effect of Directional Selection
- Competition as the Driving Force of the Progress of Evolution
- The Giant Leaps
- The Emergence of Multicellular Organisms
- The Emergence of Aquatic Vertebrates (Fishes)
- The Emergence of Terrestrial Vertebrates (Tetrapods)
- The Emergence of Mammals
- The Emergence of the Modern Man
- The Giant Leaps and Complexity
- Stabilizing Selection
- Hierarchy
- Objections to Hierarchy
- Temporal and Hierarchical Organization
- Hierarchy in the Human Species?
- Punctuated Equilibrium
- Gradualism
- Increasing Complexity in Cultural Evolution
- Competition in the Cultural Field
- The Evolution of Science
- Summary
- Chapter 11
- Progress
- The Scientific Interpretation
- Stephen Jay Gould and Progress
- Richard Dawkins and Progress
- Common Notions versus Scientific Concepts
- Progress and Increasing Complexity
- An Early Idea of Progress
- Progress as Increasing Complexity
- Inevitable Progress
- Progress as a Natural Law
- The Uniqueness of Man
- Extraterrestrial Life
- What about ET?
- An Extension of the Anthropic Principle
- The Supremacy of Mankind
- Chapter 12
- Summary
- Development and Evolution
- Intrinsic Selection
- Complexity
- The Tree of Life
- Hierarchy
- Human Cultural Evolution
- Progress
- Progress-Blessing or Disaster?
- References
- About the Author
- Index
- Blank Page
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