The Missing Two-Thirds of Evolutionary Theory

This Element provides an exposition of what the authors believe to be 'biology's first law'.

Robert N. Brandon (Author), Daniel W. McShea (Author)

9781108716680, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 26 March 2020

75 pages
23 x 15.3 x 0.5 cm, 0.18 kg

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.

1. The Zero-Force Evolutionary Law
2. What the ZFEL is not
3. The ZFEL quantified
4. What the ZFEL means for biology.

Subject Areas: Philosophy of science [PDA], Philosophy [HP], Humanities [H]