Neural Darwinism: The Theory Of Neuronal Group SelectionAlready the subject of considerable pre-publication discussion, this magisterial work by one of the nation's leading neuroscientists presents a radically new view of the function of the brain and nervous system. Its central idea is that the nervous system in each individual operates as a selective system resembling natural selection in evolution, but operating by different mechanisms. By providing a fundamental neural basis for categorization of the things of this world it unifies perception, action, and learning. The theory also completely revises our view of memory, which it considers to be a dynamic process of recategorization rather than a replicative store of attributes. This has deep implications for the interpretation of various psychological states from attention to dreaming. Neural Darwinism ranges over many disciplines, focusing on key problems in developmental and evolutionary biology, anatomy, physiology, ethology, and psychology. This book should therefore prove indispensable to advanced undergraduate and graduate students in these fields, to students of medicine, and to those in the social sciences concerned with the relation of behavior to biology. Beyond that, this far-ranging theory of brain function is bound to stimulate renewed discussions of such philosophical issues as the mind-body problem, the origins of knowledge, and the perceptual basis of language. |
Contents
A Summary and Historical Introduction | 3 |
Structure Function and Perception | 23 |
Neuronal Group Selection | 43 |
Copyright | |
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Common terms and phrases
activity adaptive afferents alterations anatomical animal arbors areas axonal basis behavior CAM expression cell adhesion molecules cell surface cerebellum cerebral cortex changes chapter classification couples complex connections consider constraints cortex cortical Darwin degeneracy degenerate developmental dorsal dynamic embryonic induction epigenetic evolution evolutionary example fibers figure formation G. M. Edelman genes global mappings group selection theory heterochrony heterosynaptic individual induction information processing input interactions L-CAM large number lead learning long-term mechanisms memory modification molecular morphogenesis motion movements N-CAM natural selection neotenic nerve nervous system neural development neural structures neuroanatomy neuronal group selection Neurosci nuclei objects occur organization overlap perceptual categorization phenotypic population postsynaptic postsynaptic rule presynaptic primary repertoire properties receptive fields recognition reentrant reentry regions regulator hypothesis representation responses result secondary repertoire sensory sensory systems sequences signals somatic selection specific stimuli surface modulation synaptic theory of neuronal tion variability variation