The Missing Two-Thirds of Evolutionary Theory

Elements in the Philosophy of Biology

by Robert Brandon, Daniel W McShea

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, there is a tendency for diversity and complexity to increase. The law plays the same role in biology that Newton's first law plays in physics, explaining what biological systems are expected to do when no forces act, in other words, what happens when nothing happens. Here we offer a deeper explanation of certain features of the law, develop a quantitative version of it, and explore its consequences for our understanding of diversity and complexity.

Genres: Philosophy, Science

84 pages, Paperback

Published March 26, 2020

Reviews

[Douglas Perry, PhD · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb exposition of the zero-force evolutionary law, in which diversity and/or complexity will naturally increase over evolutionary time.