Randomness In Evolution

Product Description

John Tyler Bonner one of our most distinguished & insightful biologists here challenges a central tenet of evolutionary biology. In this concise elegantly written book he makes the bold & provocative claim that some biological diversity may be explained by something other than natural selection. With his customary wit & accessible style Bonner makes an argument for the underappreciated role that randomness--or chance--plays in evolution. Due to the tremendous & enduring influence of Darwin's natural selection the importance of randomness has been to some extent overshadowed. Bonner shows how the effects of randomness differ for organisms of different sizes & how the smaller an organism is the more likely it is that morphological differences will be random & selection may not be involved to any degree. He traces the increase in size & complexity of organisms over geological time & looks at the varying significance of randomness at different size levels from microorganisms to large mammals. Bonner also discusses how sexual cycles vary depending on size & complexity & how the trend away from randomness in higher forms has even been reversed in some social organisms. Certain to provoke lively discussion Randomness in Evolution is a book that may fundamentally change our understanding of evolution & the history of life.