Current Themes in Theoretical Biology: A Dutch PerspectiveThomas A.C. Reydon, Lia Hemerik The present volume originated in 2001 when we, together with our publishing editors at (then) Kluwer Academic Publishers, realized that the th following year the 50 volume of our journal Acta Biotheoretica would see the light. We felt that this milestone should not pass unnoticed and that the appropriate way to mark it would be the publication of a special volume of papers on theoretical biology. While editing this book during 2003 and early 2004, we realized that another milestone was not far off: in 2005 it will be 70 years ago that the journal was founded. We hope that the book lying before you will serve well to mark both events. The papers collected here have been written on invitation by representatives of the theoretical biology community in The Netherlands. They are intended to reflect the entire spectrum of topics on which Acta Biotheoretica publishes, ranging from philosophy of biology on one end to mathematical biology on the other. All chapters (except our own introductory one) have been peer reviewed according to the standards that are maintained with respect to regular submissions to Acta Biotheoretica. |
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Contents
| 1 | |
| 9 | |
| 33 | |
| 71 | |
A Rigorous Basis for Cladistic Practice | 95 |
An Essay on Contingency versus Inevitability of Phylogenetic Development | 129 |
The Symbiontic Nature of Metabolic Evolution | 159 |
The Founder and Alice Effects in the Patch Occupancy Metapopulation Model | 203 |
Lumping Experimental Data for Model Selection | 233 |
Population Models | 267 |
Metabolic Plasticity Matters | 281 |
List of Contributors | 305 |
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Current Themes in Theoretical Biology: A Dutch Perspective Thomas A.C. Reydon,Lia Hemerik Limited preview - 2005 |
Common terms and phrases
activity adaptive Allee effect animals approach become behaviour biological role biology branching called causes cells character colonization complex composite species concept concerned considered context continuous cycle defined depends described deterministic discuss diseases dispersal distance distribution dynamics ecological environment equilibrium et al eukaryotes evolution evolutionary example existing explanations extinction fact Figure fitting fixation fixed foraging function genes genetic genome given herbivores important increase individuals interactions internodons interpretation Journal kind living mass means mechanisms metabolic metaphors metapopulation migraine nature observations occurs organisms origin parameter patch phenotypes Philosophy phylogenetic plant play population possible present Press probability problem properties question reasons relation role scale Science seed selection simulated specialization species concept splits stochastic structure suggests theoretical biology theory trait trials University utility
Popular passages
Page 123 - Cracraft defined a phylogenetic species as "an irreducible (basal) cluster of organisms, diagnosably distinct from other such clusters, and within which there is a parental pattern of ancestry and descent
Page 126 - Biological Research (BION), which is subsidized by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).
Page 56 - I want to make out the case that the engineering perspective on biology is not merely occasionally useful, not merely a valuable option, but the obligatory organizer of all Darwinian thinking, and the primary source of its power.
Page 57 - When Raytheon wants to make an electronic widget to compete with General Electric's widget, they buy several of GE's widgets and proceed to analyze them: that's reverse engineering. They run them, benchmark them, X-ray them, take them apart, and subject every part of them to interpretive analysis: Why did GE make these wires so heavy? What are these extra ROM registers for? Is this a double layer of insulation, and, if so, why did they bother with it? Notice that the reigning assumption is that all...
Page 123 - the smallest aggregation of populations (sexual) or lineages (asexual) diagnosable by a unique combination of character states in comparable individuals (semaphoronts) . " The composite and phylogenetic species concepts show certain similarities, as follows.
Page 92 - A dose-ranging exploratory study of the effects of ethyl-eicosapentaenoate in patients with persistent schizophrenic symptoms.
Page 63 - ... must be so arranged as to render possible the whole living being, not only with regard to itself, but to its surrounding relations...
Page 55 - Dobzhansky's famous dictum, that nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution, is true, biology has no option other than to move beyond the formalism of the genetic code.
Page 230 - Holt. RD 1997. From metapopulation dynamics to community structure: some consequences of spatial heterogeneity.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Current Themes in Theoretical Biology: A Dutch Perspective |
| Editors | Thomas A.C. Reydon, Lia Hemerik |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Springer Science & Business Media, 2005 |
| ISBN | 1402029012, 9781402029011 |
| Length | 310 pages |
| Subjects | › › Mathematics / Applied Philosophy / General Philosophy / Mind & Body Philosophy / Reference Science / Life Sciences / Biology Science / Philosophy & Social Aspects |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |