Handbook of evolutionary thinking in the sciences. (2015)

• Record Type: Book
• Further Information: Note: Edited by Thomas Heams, Philippe Huneman, Guillaume Lecointre, Marc Silberstein.
• Editors: Heams, Thomas; Huneman, Philippe; Lecointre, Guillaume; Silberstein, Marc
• Contents: Foreword; Contents; Contributors; Chapter 1: Introduction; Part I: Concepts: Processes; Chapter 2: Variation; 1 Which Variations Can Be Transmitted via Evolutionary Pressures at Play?; 2 How Do Mutations Appear?; 3 Variation, Ploidy and Sexuality; 4 Action of Variations, Evolvability, Epigenetics; 5 Conclusion; References; Chapter 3: Heredity; 1 A Polymorphous Notion ... ; 2 Refutations of the Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics; 3 The Rapid Development of Genetics; 3.1 Interlude: Lysenkoism, a Criminal Fabulation of Heredity; 4 DNA, the Molecular Basis for Genetic Heredity. 5 Other Heredities5.1 Horizontal Transfers; 5.2 Cytoplasmic Heredity; 5.3 Mosaic Heredity: Microchimerism; 6 A Non-Mendelian Heredity: The "Return" of Epigenetics; References; Chapter 4: Selection; 1 The Principle of Natural Selection (When and Why Is There Natural Selection?); 1.1 The Selectionist Explanation; 1.2 Necessary and Sufficient Conditions; 1.3 Replicators and Interactors; 2 What Does Natural Selection Explain, and How?; 2.1 Types of Selection; 2.2 Epistemology of Selection Explanations; 3 The Status of Natural Selection; 3.1 Is Selection a Natural law?; 3.2 Laws and Contingency. 4 Units and Levels of Selection4.1 Settling the Question: Group Selection, Genic Selection; 4.2 Units and Levels of Selection: Causality vs. Representation; 4.3 Pluralism; 5 Conclusion; References; Chapter 5: Adaptation; 1 The Concept, Its Definition and Its Implications; 2 The History of the Concept; 3 Adaptation or Preadaptation and Exaptation?; 4 One Example and an Insightful Discussion: The Adaptive Nature of Leaf Retention in Oaks; 5 A Few Conceptual Problems; 6 When There Is no More Adaptation: Maladaptation or Desaptation; 7 Conclusion; References; Chapter 6: Function. 1 An Omnipresent Concept in the Life Sciences2 Functionalism, an "Acceptable" Admission of Purpose in Biology?; 3 Structures and Functions, Adaptation, Systems; 4 The Dimension of Time and Its Consequences; 5 Form and Function; 6 Modern Solutions -- Two Non-finalist Conceptions of Function; 7 Conclusions: Open Questions; References; Part II: Concepts: Patterns; Chapter.7: Character; 1 Introduction; 2 What Is a Character?; 3 Which Characters to Use?; 4 The Character in Phylogenetic Systematics; 5 Establishing a Character-Taxon Matrix: Coding; 6 The Naso-Maxillary Region of Hominoid Primates. 7 Character and Character State8 The Molecular Character; References; Chapter 8: Species; 1 "What Is a Species?": The Debate's Ontological and Historical Elements; 1.1 Some Reflections on the Intuitive Perception of Biodiversity; 1.2 The Pre-Darwinian Perception of Species; 1.3 The Darwinian Revolution's Effect on the Concept of Species; 1.4 Nature of Discussions of the Definition of Species in the Twentieth Century; 2 Species and the Theory of Evolution Today; 3 From the Theoretical Definition to Operational Criteria: Epistemological Aspects of the Debate; 3.1 Organisms and their Characters.
• Publisher Details: Dordrecht : Springer Science
• Publication Date: 2015
• Extent: 1 online resource
• Subjects: 576.8; Evolution (Biology); Evolution; Science -- Philosophy; SCIENCE -- Life Sciences -- Evolution; Evolution; Evolution (Biology); Science -- Philosophy; Electronic books
• Languages: English
• ISBNs: 9789401790147; 9401790140
• Related ISBNs: 9789401790130; 9401790132
• Notes: Note: Includes bibliographical references.; Note: Print version record.
• Access Rights: Legal Deposit; Only available on premises controlled by the deposit library and to one user at any one time; The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK).
• Access Usage: Restricted: Printing from this resource is governed by The Legal Deposit Libraries (Non-Print Works) Regulations (UK) and UK copyright law currently in force.