Synopsis
During evolution there have been major changes in the way genetic information is transmitted from one generation to the next. This book discusses these transitions. The authors highlight the similarities between different transitions - for example, between the union of replicating molecules to form chromosomes and of cells to form multicellular organisms. The authors also show how an understanding of one transition sheds light on others. A common theme in the book is that entities that could replicate independently before the transition can replicate afterwards only as part of a larger whole. Why, then, does selection between entities at the lower level not disrupt selection at the higher level? In answering this question, the authors offer an explanation for the evolution of co-operation at all levels of complexity.
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Review
"It spans the major transitions in evolution, starting with a prebiotic mix of free molecules and ending with the evolution of human language . . . . A splendid and rewarding tour de force."--Nature
"It spans the major transitions in evolution, starting with a prebiotic mix of free molecules and ending with the evolution of human language . . . . A splendid and rewarding tour de force."--Nature
"It spans the major transitions in evolution, starting with a prebiotic mix of free molecules and ending with the evolution of human language . . . . A splendid and rewarding tour de force."--Nature
About the Author
John Maynard Smith (1920-2004) was Emeritus Professor of Biology in the University of Sussex. Eors Szathmáry is at the Institute for Advanced Study, Budapest.
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The Major Transitions in Evolution.
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