Chance in EvolutionGrant Ramsey, Charles H. Pence This illuminating volume explores the effects of chance on evolution, covering diverse perspectives from scientists, philosophers, and historians. The evolution of species, from single-celled organisms to multicellular animals and plants, is the result of a long and highly chancy history. But how profoundly has chance shaped life on earth? And what, precisely, do we mean by chance? Bringing together biologists, philosophers of science, and historians of science, Chance in Evolution is the first book to untangle the far-reaching effects of chance, contingency, and randomness on the evolution of life.The book begins by placing chance in historical context, starting with the ancients and moving through Darwin to contemporary biology. It documents the shifts in our understanding of chance as Darwin’s theory of evolution developed into the modern synthesis, and how the acceptance of chance in Darwinian theory affected theological resistance to it. Other chapters discuss how chance relates to the concepts of genetic drift, mutation, and parallel evolution—as well as recent work in paleobiology and the experimental evolution of microbes. By engaging in collaboration across biology, history, philosophy, and theology, this book offers a comprehensive overview both of the history of chance in evolution and of our current understanding of the impact of chance on life. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 13 | |
Part 2 Chance in the Processes of Evolution | 143 |
Part 3 Chance and Contingency in the History of Life | 221 |
| 299 | |
Contributors | 347 |
| 351 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adaptive alleles ancestral argued argument Aristotle’s Beatty biologists Blount Burgess Shale Cambrian Cambrian explosion causal causes chance in evolution chap chapter Cit+ clades coli complex concept constraints contingency Conway Morris Darwin Darwinian developmental divergence DNA sequence Dobzhansky drift ecological Ediacaran EF-Tu effects environment epistasis Erwin evolutionary biology evolved experimental evolution explain explanatory extinction Fisher fitness fossils frequency function gene genetic drift genetic mutations genome genotypes God’s Gould Haldane human indiscriminate sampling Lenski life’s lineages LTEE M.J. S. Hodge microconstant Millstein modern synthesis molecular muta mutation rate natural selection notion occur organisms Origin outcomes parallel evolution path dependence phenotypic philosophical phylogenetic Pikaia populations predation predict probabilistic probability protein question reference class problem relevant replay reproduction result role scenario Schönborn sense species spin statistical statisticalists stochastic synthesis authors theology thinking tion traits trajectories Travisano variables variation weak randomness wheel Wright
Bibliographic information
| Title | Chance in Evolution |
| Editors | Grant Ramsey, Charles H. Pence |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | University of Chicago Press, 2016 |
| ISBN | 022640191X, 9780226401911 |
| Length | 384 pages |
| Subjects | › › Science / Life Sciences / Biology Science / Life Sciences / Evolution Science / Philosophy & Social Aspects |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |