Evolution As Entropy

by Brooks, Daniel R.; Wiley, E. O.; Brooks, D. R.

• ISBN13: 9780226075747
• ISBN10: 0226075745
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1988-10-01
• Publisher: Univ of Chicago Pr

Summary

"By combining recent advances in the physical sciences with some of the novel ideas, techniques, and data of modern biology, this book attempts to achieve a new and different kind of evolutionary synthesis. I found it to be challenging, fascinating, infuriating, and provocative, but certainly not dull."--James H, Brown, University of New Mexico "This book is unquestionably mandatory reading not only for every living biologist but for generations of biologists to come."--Jack P. Hailman, Animal Behaviour, review of the first edition "An important contribution to modern evolutionary thinking. It fortifies the place of Evolutionary Theory among the other well-established natural laws."--R.Gessink,TAXON

Author Biography

Elizabeth A. Kaye specializes in communications as part of her coaching and consulting practice. She has edited Requirements for Certification since the 2000-01 edition.

Table of Contents

Preface

Preface to First Edition

Prelude Lawlike Behavior in Evolution

Evolution and Developmental Biology

Neo-Darwinism and the Origin of Higher Taxa: Of Moths and Mammals

A Proposed Analogy Form and Function

Summary

The Core Hypothesis

Introduction to the Thesis Energy and Information

Information Entropy and Information

Some Biological Interpretations

Thermodynamics Information Theory

Hierarchical Information Theory

Informational Capacity

Order and Disorder Closed Systems

Noise Self-Organizing Systems

Biological Phenomenology

The Nature of the Initial Conditions

Information Cohesion

Physiological Phenomenology

Research Programs

Summary

Ontogeny, Morphology, and Evolution

Ontogenesis as a Nonequilibrium Phenomenon

The Genome as an Organized Unit

Terminal Changes

Nonterminal Changes

Entropic Behavior of Ontogenesis

Compensatory Changes

Compensatory Changes and the Course of Evolution

Historical Analysis and Ontogeny

Summary

Populations and Species Evolution in Populations

Information Overall

Estimates of Information

Entropy Information

Partitioning and Multiple Populations

Patterns of Change in Information

Proximal Mechnisms of Changes in Information

Cohesion Factors Affecting Cohesion

Cohesion within a Population

Cohesion among Populations

Cohesion and Entropy

Summary

Remarks Species and Speciation

Modes of Speciation

Speciation and Entropy Changes

Comment on Punctuated

Equilibrium Species, Phylogenetic Tree Topologies, and Entropy

Summary

Mapping Historical Change

Linguistic and Structuralist Approaches to Systematics

Syntax Systematic Technique Derived from Entropy Considerations

Phylogenetic Systematics

The Wagner Algorithm Semantics

Semantic Components

Historical Constraints and Outgroups

Parsimony and Minimum Entropy Increases Information Considerations

Cohesion Considerations

Testing for Departures from Minimum Entropy Configurations

"Linguistic Affinities" of Systematic Techniques

Summary

Macroecology

Macroscopic Properties of Ecological Associations

Historical Ecology Life History

Cycles and Ecology

Coevolution and Colonization Vicariance

Biogeography Separating Historical and Proximal

Ecological Associations—Two Examples

Historical Ecology and Competition

Summary

Reprise and Prelude

References

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.