Brad de Young, Francisco E. Werner, Harold Batchelder, François Carlotti, Øyvind Fiksen, Eileen E. Hofmann, Suam Kim, Michio J. Kishi, and Hidekatsu Yamazaki
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- May 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199558025
- eISBN:
- 9780191721939
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199558025.003.0005
- Subject:
- Biology, Biodiversity / Conservation Biology, Aquatic Biology
GLOBEC studies have greatly expanded our understanding of the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems, in particular demonstrating the importance of life history dynamics in determining the ...
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GLOBEC studies have greatly expanded our understanding of the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems, in particular demonstrating the importance of life history dynamics in determining the influence of physical processes on organisms in the ocean. The linkages between physical and biological processes were explored through novel approaches to experimentation in the laboratory, in the field, and through biophysical models of the coupled dynamics. New observations and the development of realistic physical circulation models have made it possible to quantitatively explore the relation between advection by large‐scale hydrodynamic fields, motions of actively behaving organisms at the scale of the individuals, and the response of organisms to dynamically evolving predator—prey fields. Scale dependence has also been demonstrated through observations that cover a wide geographic range and models that allow high resolution ranging from continental shelf to oceanic basin scales. The complexity of the interactions in marine ecosystems has required consideration of as many factors as possible while at the same time focusing on the primary factors, given the challenges of disentangling the complexity. These ideas and approaches to biophysical coupling are reviewed through presentation of the research that has been carried out during the GLOBEC programme over the past two decades.Less
GLOBEC studies have greatly expanded our understanding of the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems, in particular demonstrating the importance of life history dynamics in determining the influence of physical processes on organisms in the ocean. The linkages between physical and biological processes were explored through novel approaches to experimentation in the laboratory, in the field, and through biophysical models of the coupled dynamics. New observations and the development of realistic physical circulation models have made it possible to quantitatively explore the relation between advection by large‐scale hydrodynamic fields, motions of actively behaving organisms at the scale of the individuals, and the response of organisms to dynamically evolving predator—prey fields. Scale dependence has also been demonstrated through observations that cover a wide geographic range and models that allow high resolution ranging from continental shelf to oceanic basin scales. The complexity of the interactions in marine ecosystems has required consideration of as many factors as possible while at the same time focusing on the primary factors, given the challenges of disentangling the complexity. These ideas and approaches to biophysical coupling are reviewed through presentation of the research that has been carried out during the GLOBEC programme over the past two decades.
Nikolas Rose and Joelle M. Abi-Rached
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691149608
- eISBN:
- 9781400846337
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691149608.003.0001
- Subject:
- Neuroscience, Development
This introductory chapter provides an overview of the emergence of a neuromolecular vision of the brain. This means a new scale at which the brain and nervous system was conceptualized, and a new way ...
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This introductory chapter provides an overview of the emergence of a neuromolecular vision of the brain. This means a new scale at which the brain and nervous system was conceptualized, and a new way in which their activities were understood. At this molecular level, the structure and processes of the brain and central nervous system were made understandable as material processes of interaction among molecules in neurons and the synapses between them. These were conceived in terms of the biophysical, chemical, and electrical properties of their constituent parts. At this scale, in a profoundly reductionist approach, despite the recognition that there was much that could not yet be explained, there seemed nothing mysterious about the operations of the nervous system. Indeed, mental processes—cognition, emotion, volition—could be explained in entirely material ways, as the outcome of biological processes in the brain.Less
This introductory chapter provides an overview of the emergence of a neuromolecular vision of the brain. This means a new scale at which the brain and nervous system was conceptualized, and a new way in which their activities were understood. At this molecular level, the structure and processes of the brain and central nervous system were made understandable as material processes of interaction among molecules in neurons and the synapses between them. These were conceived in terms of the biophysical, chemical, and electrical properties of their constituent parts. At this scale, in a profoundly reductionist approach, despite the recognition that there was much that could not yet be explained, there seemed nothing mysterious about the operations of the nervous system. Indeed, mental processes—cognition, emotion, volition—could be explained in entirely material ways, as the outcome of biological processes in the brain.
Baltazar Aguda, Avner Friedman, and Visiting Associate Professor, The Ohio State University
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780198570912
- eISBN:
- 9780191718717
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198570912.001.0001
- Subject:
- Physics, Soft Matter / Biological Physics
The human genome of three billion letters has been sequenced. So have the genomes of thousands of other organisms. With unprecedented resolution, modern technologies are allowing us to peek into the ...
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The human genome of three billion letters has been sequenced. So have the genomes of thousands of other organisms. With unprecedented resolution, modern technologies are allowing us to peek into the world of genes, biomolecules, and cells, and flooding us with data of immense complexity that we are just barely beginning to understand. A huge gap separates our knowledge of the components of a cell and what is known from our observations of its physiology. This book explores what has been done to close this gap of understanding between the realms of molecules and biological processes. It contains illustrative mechanisms and models of gene regulatory networks, DNA replication, the cell cycle, cell death, differentiation, cell senescence, and the abnormal state of cancer cells. The mechanisms are biomolecular in detail, and the models are mathematical in nature.Less
The human genome of three billion letters has been sequenced. So have the genomes of thousands of other organisms. With unprecedented resolution, modern technologies are allowing us to peek into the world of genes, biomolecules, and cells, and flooding us with data of immense complexity that we are just barely beginning to understand. A huge gap separates our knowledge of the components of a cell and what is known from our observations of its physiology. This book explores what has been done to close this gap of understanding between the realms of molecules and biological processes. It contains illustrative mechanisms and models of gene regulatory networks, DNA replication, the cell cycle, cell death, differentiation, cell senescence, and the abnormal state of cancer cells. The mechanisms are biomolecular in detail, and the models are mathematical in nature.
Toby Tyrrell
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691121581
- eISBN:
- 9781400847914
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691121581.003.0006
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
This chapter examines James Lovelock's assertion that the Earth's atmosphere is a biological construct that is distinctly different from any expected abiotic chemical equilibrium. This claim can be ...
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This chapter examines James Lovelock's assertion that the Earth's atmosphere is a biological construct that is distinctly different from any expected abiotic chemical equilibrium. This claim can be broadened to the wider claim that Earth's environment bears the definite and considerable imprint of biological processes and is distinctly different from the environment that would be present if Earth did not possess life. Based on the evidence covered in this chapter, from atmosphere and oceans, Lovelock was clearly correct to claim that the coexistence of oxygen and methane in Earth's atmosphere is evidence of life, and that life can alter the planet. Other examples that could also be used as evidence to prove this point include the effects of vegetation in creating and stabilizing soils, the effects of plant transpiration on the cycling of water, and the fossil evidence for the effects of diatoms on silicon concentrations.Less
This chapter examines James Lovelock's assertion that the Earth's atmosphere is a biological construct that is distinctly different from any expected abiotic chemical equilibrium. This claim can be broadened to the wider claim that Earth's environment bears the definite and considerable imprint of biological processes and is distinctly different from the environment that would be present if Earth did not possess life. Based on the evidence covered in this chapter, from atmosphere and oceans, Lovelock was clearly correct to claim that the coexistence of oxygen and methane in Earth's atmosphere is evidence of life, and that life can alter the planet. Other examples that could also be used as evidence to prove this point include the effects of vegetation in creating and stabilizing soils, the effects of plant transpiration on the cycling of water, and the fossil evidence for the effects of diatoms on silicon concentrations.
Joanna D. Haigh and Peter Cargill
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691153834
- eISBN:
- 9781400866540
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691153834.003.0009
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Climate
This concluding chapter talks about how the Earth's climate is fundamental to the well-being of humanity, and any factor with the potential to affect that is obviously of concern. Thus, an ...
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This concluding chapter talks about how the Earth's climate is fundamental to the well-being of humanity, and any factor with the potential to affect that is obviously of concern. Thus, an understandable interest in the body that provides the energy for all life on Earth has driven a long history of study of how changes in the Sun might influence the climate. The wealth of physical, chemical, and biological processes involved also makes the topic of intrinsic scientific fascination. Observations of the Sun, alongside theoretical advances and developments in models, are helping to further understanding of its behavior. In particular, significant advances have been made in determining how different activity indicators relate to the physical processes involved in the evolution of the solar magnetic field, sunspots, and radiation over the 11-year cycle.Less
This concluding chapter talks about how the Earth's climate is fundamental to the well-being of humanity, and any factor with the potential to affect that is obviously of concern. Thus, an understandable interest in the body that provides the energy for all life on Earth has driven a long history of study of how changes in the Sun might influence the climate. The wealth of physical, chemical, and biological processes involved also makes the topic of intrinsic scientific fascination. Observations of the Sun, alongside theoretical advances and developments in models, are helping to further understanding of its behavior. In particular, significant advances have been made in determining how different activity indicators relate to the physical processes involved in the evolution of the solar magnetic field, sunspots, and radiation over the 11-year cycle.
Mark Tatham and Katherine Morton
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199250677
- eISBN:
- 9780191719462
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199250677.003.0004
- Subject:
- Linguistics, Phonetics / Phonology
This chapter details some contributions of the results of biological and cognitive processing to natural speech. It presents the general concept of classifying basic and secondary emotions. A vector ...
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This chapter details some contributions of the results of biological and cognitive processing to natural speech. It presents the general concept of classifying basic and secondary emotions. A vector model of emotion is suggested and the importance of dynamic modeling is emphasized. The problems of an adequate approach to modelling variability, and the relationship between variability and adequate acoustic modeling is discussed. Problems inherent in collecting useable data bases are identified.Less
This chapter details some contributions of the results of biological and cognitive processing to natural speech. It presents the general concept of classifying basic and secondary emotions. A vector model of emotion is suggested and the importance of dynamic modeling is emphasized. The problems of an adequate approach to modelling variability, and the relationship between variability and adequate acoustic modeling is discussed. Problems inherent in collecting useable data bases are identified.
Rosemary Rodd
- Published in print:
- 1992
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198240525
- eISBN:
- 9780191680199
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198240525.003.0009
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Moral Philosophy
‘Sociobiology’ was introduced by Wilson to denote the scientific study of ways in which the social behaviour of animals and humans is shaped by biological processes. Sociobiological literatures use ...
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‘Sociobiology’ was introduced by Wilson to denote the scientific study of ways in which the social behaviour of animals and humans is shaped by biological processes. Sociobiological literatures use the terms ‘selfish’ and ‘altruistic’ in a technical way which can be found in Dawkins's book The Extended Phenotype. This chapter presents two fundamental lines of thought that are involved in the development of ‘biological’ systems of ethics. It argues that humans need to be moral because they need to be able to work out how to balance conflicting interests in a flexible way. If we are to make use of a sociobiological account of the origin of morality we must build up a theory which accounts for the genuine complexity of human moral choice.Less
‘Sociobiology’ was introduced by Wilson to denote the scientific study of ways in which the social behaviour of animals and humans is shaped by biological processes. Sociobiological literatures use the terms ‘selfish’ and ‘altruistic’ in a technical way which can be found in Dawkins's book The Extended Phenotype. This chapter presents two fundamental lines of thought that are involved in the development of ‘biological’ systems of ethics. It argues that humans need to be moral because they need to be able to work out how to balance conflicting interests in a flexible way. If we are to make use of a sociobiological account of the origin of morality we must build up a theory which accounts for the genuine complexity of human moral choice.
James DiFrisco
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- July 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198779636
- eISBN:
- 9780191824685
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198779636.003.0004
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics/Epistemology
This chapter investigates the identity and persistence conditions for processes as a task of biological process ontology. It argues that the problem of intrinsic variation in evolution, development, ...
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This chapter investigates the identity and persistence conditions for processes as a task of biological process ontology. It argues that the problem of intrinsic variation in evolution, development, and metabolism motivates viewing biological individuals as processes rather than as substances. Different criteria of identity for processes are then evaluated, including causal and spatio-temporal relations. The chapter ultimately settles on the view that processes are individuated by causal cohesion and are identical if they share the same cohesive properties and spatio-temporal region. The persistence of processes is interpreted on the model of perdurance, as a form of causal continuity or genidentity.Less
This chapter investigates the identity and persistence conditions for processes as a task of biological process ontology. It argues that the problem of intrinsic variation in evolution, development, and metabolism motivates viewing biological individuals as processes rather than as substances. Different criteria of identity for processes are then evaluated, including causal and spatio-temporal relations. The chapter ultimately settles on the view that processes are individuated by causal cohesion and are identical if they share the same cohesive properties and spatio-temporal region. The persistence of processes is interpreted on the model of perdurance, as a form of causal continuity or genidentity.
C. Gopalan
- Published in print:
- 1993
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198283966
- eISBN:
- 9780191684470
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198283966.003.0002
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter examines the measurement of undernutrition in population groups. It describes the biological processes involved in the genesis and development of undernutrition and reviews the ...
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This chapter examines the measurement of undernutrition in population groups. It describes the biological processes involved in the genesis and development of undernutrition and reviews the conceptual issues in the two major approaches to the measurement of undernutrition. It discusses some of the practical problems in measuring undernutrition and argues that the measurement of undernutrition in large populations should be based on dietary surveys supplemented by weight-for-age measurements of children under the age of five.Less
This chapter examines the measurement of undernutrition in population groups. It describes the biological processes involved in the genesis and development of undernutrition and reviews the conceptual issues in the two major approaches to the measurement of undernutrition. It discusses some of the practical problems in measuring undernutrition and argues that the measurement of undernutrition in large populations should be based on dietary surveys supplemented by weight-for-age measurements of children under the age of five.
Robert Dorfman
- Published in print:
- 1997
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198292203
- eISBN:
- 9780191684883
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198292203.003.0010
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter states that the problem of protecting the transnational commons is less a natural scientific problem of understanding the physical and biological processes that disrupt the environment, ...
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This chapter states that the problem of protecting the transnational commons is less a natural scientific problem of understanding the physical and biological processes that disrupt the environment, or of developing appropriate protective techniques, than it is a social scientific problem of devising procedures to expedite international cooperation in protecting the transnational commons. The chapter suggests that the procedures of international negotiations be altered so as to make more use of relevant economic concepts and insights. The chapter also recommends an approach based on the benefits principle of public finance, advocated particularly by Knut Wicksell and Erik Lindahl. The chapter recommends more research be done. Specifically, a need for drastic improvement in the negotiating procedures is great enough to justify conducting pilot trials in a few relatively manageable cases.Less
This chapter states that the problem of protecting the transnational commons is less a natural scientific problem of understanding the physical and biological processes that disrupt the environment, or of developing appropriate protective techniques, than it is a social scientific problem of devising procedures to expedite international cooperation in protecting the transnational commons. The chapter suggests that the procedures of international negotiations be altered so as to make more use of relevant economic concepts and insights. The chapter also recommends an approach based on the benefits principle of public finance, advocated particularly by Knut Wicksell and Erik Lindahl. The chapter recommends more research be done. Specifically, a need for drastic improvement in the negotiating procedures is great enough to justify conducting pilot trials in a few relatively manageable cases.
Alexander Rosenberg
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226727295
- eISBN:
- 9780226727318
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226727318.001.0001
- Subject:
- Philosophy, Philosophy of Science
After the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953, scientists working in molecular biology embraced reductionism—the theory that all complex systems can be understood in terms of their components. ...
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After the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953, scientists working in molecular biology embraced reductionism—the theory that all complex systems can be understood in terms of their components. Reductionism, however, has been widely resisted by both nonmolecular biologists and scientists working outside the field of biology. Many of these antireductionists, nevertheless, embrace the notion of physicalism—the idea that all biological processes are physical in nature. How, the author of this book asks, can these self-proclaimed physicalists also be antireductionists? The book navigates this difficult and seemingly intractable dualism with analysis and evidence. In the spirit of the few distinguished biologists who accept reductionism—E. O. Wilson, Francis Crick, Jacques Monod, James Watson, and Richard Dawkins—the author provides a defense of reductionism and applies it to molecular developmental biology and the theory of natural selection, ultimately proving that the physicalist must also be a reductionist.Less
After the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953, scientists working in molecular biology embraced reductionism—the theory that all complex systems can be understood in terms of their components. Reductionism, however, has been widely resisted by both nonmolecular biologists and scientists working outside the field of biology. Many of these antireductionists, nevertheless, embrace the notion of physicalism—the idea that all biological processes are physical in nature. How, the author of this book asks, can these self-proclaimed physicalists also be antireductionists? The book navigates this difficult and seemingly intractable dualism with analysis and evidence. In the spirit of the few distinguished biologists who accept reductionism—E. O. Wilson, Francis Crick, Jacques Monod, James Watson, and Richard Dawkins—the author provides a defense of reductionism and applies it to molecular developmental biology and the theory of natural selection, ultimately proving that the physicalist must also be a reductionist.
Peter Kraftl
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- January 2014
- ISBN:
- 9781447300496
- eISBN:
- 9781447310914
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Policy Press
- DOI:
- 10.1332/policypress/9781447300496.003.0008
- Subject:
- Sociology, Education
The argument of this chapter is that alternative learning spaces offer alternative versions and visions of life-itself. That is, they do not just proffer alternative approaches to education, but to ...
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The argument of this chapter is that alternative learning spaces offer alternative versions and visions of life-itself. That is, they do not just proffer alternative approaches to education, but to the very thinking and doing of life. This argument is inspired by a trans-disciplinary series of thinkers who have propounded distinct but overlapping theories of life-itself. Their theories have, in some circles, come to be termed ‘vital materialisms’ – inspired by poststructural theories of materiality, diverse economic practices, and ongoing developments in biology, neuroscience and social psychology. Significantly, these theorists say little about education, explicitly. Using extended empirical evidence from alternative learning spaces, the chapter explores how the social and the biological are interwoven in the constitution of autonomy as something that is more-than-social and collaborative. An emphasis on the biological and material represents a departure from previous theorisations of autonomy. The chapter also examines how alternative educators are intimately involved with other attempts to live life differently – from local food networks to (inter)national developments in sustainable building. Thus, the chapter closes by understanding some alternative learning spaces as utopian – but in ways that are more obdurate than the prefigurative, experimental utopias favoured by poststructural utopian theorists.Less
The argument of this chapter is that alternative learning spaces offer alternative versions and visions of life-itself. That is, they do not just proffer alternative approaches to education, but to the very thinking and doing of life. This argument is inspired by a trans-disciplinary series of thinkers who have propounded distinct but overlapping theories of life-itself. Their theories have, in some circles, come to be termed ‘vital materialisms’ – inspired by poststructural theories of materiality, diverse economic practices, and ongoing developments in biology, neuroscience and social psychology. Significantly, these theorists say little about education, explicitly. Using extended empirical evidence from alternative learning spaces, the chapter explores how the social and the biological are interwoven in the constitution of autonomy as something that is more-than-social and collaborative. An emphasis on the biological and material represents a departure from previous theorisations of autonomy. The chapter also examines how alternative educators are intimately involved with other attempts to live life differently – from local food networks to (inter)national developments in sustainable building. Thus, the chapter closes by understanding some alternative learning spaces as utopian – but in ways that are more obdurate than the prefigurative, experimental utopias favoured by poststructural utopian theorists.
Peter Graf
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198525691
- eISBN:
- 9780191689369
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198525691.003.0015
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Psychology
This chapter presents a commentary on Chapters 10–14. By situating cognitive aging in the broad context of health, physiological, and biological processes, the chapters in this section seem to ...
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This chapter presents a commentary on Chapters 10–14. By situating cognitive aging in the broad context of health, physiological, and biological processes, the chapters in this section seem to underscore the need for large-scale, comprehensive investigations that are able to tease apart the often subtle main and interaction effects among the multitude of causes of cognitive aging. These kinds of investigations will need to be longitudinal in order to ferret out changes that occur within individuals, and cutting-edge statistical methods will be required for data analysis.Less
This chapter presents a commentary on Chapters 10–14. By situating cognitive aging in the broad context of health, physiological, and biological processes, the chapters in this section seem to underscore the need for large-scale, comprehensive investigations that are able to tease apart the often subtle main and interaction effects among the multitude of causes of cognitive aging. These kinds of investigations will need to be longitudinal in order to ferret out changes that occur within individuals, and cutting-edge statistical methods will be required for data analysis.
Jens Krause, Richard James, Daniel W. Franks, and Darren P. Croft
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199679041
- eISBN:
- 9780191794094
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199679041.003.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology
A social network can be defined as any number of individuals interconnected via social ties between them (e.g. sexual, cooperative, etc.). Understanding social network structure is of great ...
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A social network can be defined as any number of individuals interconnected via social ties between them (e.g. sexual, cooperative, etc.). Understanding social network structure is of great importance because the structural characteristics of the network will affect its constituent members. For example, a social network can support a diverse array of behaviours (which in turn will be influenced by its structure), including finding and choosing a sexual partner, developing and maintaining cooperative relationships, and engaging in foraging and anti-predator behaviour. This book provides an overview of the insights that network analysis has provided into major biological processes such as cooperation, mating, and communication and how it has enhanced our understanding of the social organization of several important taxonomic groups (e.g. primates, fishes, birds, etc.). Furthermore, it introduces some important methodological developments regarding the network approach and outline priority areas for future research.Less
A social network can be defined as any number of individuals interconnected via social ties between them (e.g. sexual, cooperative, etc.). Understanding social network structure is of great importance because the structural characteristics of the network will affect its constituent members. For example, a social network can support a diverse array of behaviours (which in turn will be influenced by its structure), including finding and choosing a sexual partner, developing and maintaining cooperative relationships, and engaging in foraging and anti-predator behaviour. This book provides an overview of the insights that network analysis has provided into major biological processes such as cooperation, mating, and communication and how it has enhanced our understanding of the social organization of several important taxonomic groups (e.g. primates, fishes, birds, etc.). Furthermore, it introduces some important methodological developments regarding the network approach and outline priority areas for future research.
Snait B. Gissis and Eva Jablonka (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262015141
- eISBN:
- 9780262295642
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262015141.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
In 1809—the year of Charles Darwin's birth—Jean-Baptiste Lamarck published Philosophie zoologique, the first comprehensive and systematic theory of biological evolution. The Lamarckian approach ...
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In 1809—the year of Charles Darwin's birth—Jean-Baptiste Lamarck published Philosophie zoologique, the first comprehensive and systematic theory of biological evolution. The Lamarckian approach emphasizes the generation of developmental variations; Darwinism stresses selection. Lamarck's ideas were eventually eclipsed by Darwinian concepts, especially after the emergence of the Modern Synthesis in the twentieth century. The different approaches—which can be seen as complementary rather than mutually exclusive—have important implications for the kinds of questions biologists ask and for the type of research they conduct. Lamarckism has been evolving—or, in Lamarckian terminology, transforming—since Philosophie zoologique's description of biological processes mediated by “subtle fluids.” The chapters in this book focus on new developments in biology that make Lamarck's ideas relevant not only to modern empirical and theoretical research but also to problems in the philosophy of biology. Chapters discuss the historical transformations of Lamarckism from the 1820s to the 1940s, and the different understandings of Lamarck and Lamarckism; the Modern Synthesis and its emphasis on Mendelian genetics; theoretical and experimental research on such “Lamarckian” topics as plasticity, soft (epigenetic) inheritance, and individuality; and the importance of a developmental approach to evolution in the philosophy of biology. The book shows the advantages of a “Lamarckian” perspective on evolution. Indeed, the development-oriented approach it presents is becoming central to current evolutionary studies—as can be seen in the burgeoning field of Evo-Devo.Less
In 1809—the year of Charles Darwin's birth—Jean-Baptiste Lamarck published Philosophie zoologique, the first comprehensive and systematic theory of biological evolution. The Lamarckian approach emphasizes the generation of developmental variations; Darwinism stresses selection. Lamarck's ideas were eventually eclipsed by Darwinian concepts, especially after the emergence of the Modern Synthesis in the twentieth century. The different approaches—which can be seen as complementary rather than mutually exclusive—have important implications for the kinds of questions biologists ask and for the type of research they conduct. Lamarckism has been evolving—or, in Lamarckian terminology, transforming—since Philosophie zoologique's description of biological processes mediated by “subtle fluids.” The chapters in this book focus on new developments in biology that make Lamarck's ideas relevant not only to modern empirical and theoretical research but also to problems in the philosophy of biology. Chapters discuss the historical transformations of Lamarckism from the 1820s to the 1940s, and the different understandings of Lamarck and Lamarckism; the Modern Synthesis and its emphasis on Mendelian genetics; theoretical and experimental research on such “Lamarckian” topics as plasticity, soft (epigenetic) inheritance, and individuality; and the importance of a developmental approach to evolution in the philosophy of biology. The book shows the advantages of a “Lamarckian” perspective on evolution. Indeed, the development-oriented approach it presents is becoming central to current evolutionary studies—as can be seen in the burgeoning field of Evo-Devo.
Stephen H. Schneider, James R. Miller, Eileen Crist, and Penelope J. Boston (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262194983
- eISBN:
- 9780262283182
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262194983.001.0001
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Climate
This is a multidisciplinary reexamination of the Gaia hypothesis, which was introduced by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the early 1970s. The Gaia hypothesis holds that Earth’s physical and ...
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This is a multidisciplinary reexamination of the Gaia hypothesis, which was introduced by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the early 1970s. The Gaia hypothesis holds that Earth’s physical and biological processes are linked to form a complex, self-regulating system, and that life has affected this system over time. Until a few decades ago, most of the earth sciences viewed the planet through disciplinary lenses: biology, chemistry, geology, atmospheric, and ocean studies. The Gaia hypothesis, on the other hand, takes a very broad interdisciplinary approach. Its most controversial aspect suggests that life actively participates in shaping the physical and chemical environment on which it depends in a way that optimizes the conditions for life. Despite initial dismissal of the Gaian approach as New Age philosophy, it has today been incorporated into mainstream interdisciplinary scientific theory, as seen in its strong influence on the field of Earth System Science. This book provides a multi-faceted examination of Gaia as science and addresses significant criticism of, and changes in, the hypothesis since its introduction. Chapters explore the scientific, philosophical, and theoretical foundations of Gaia. They address such topics as the compatibility of natural selection and Gaian processes, Gaia and the “thermodynamics of life,” the role of computer models in Gaian science (from James Lovelock’s famous but controversial “Daisyworld” to more sophisticated models that use the techniques of artificial life), pre-Socratic precedents for the idea of a “Living Earth,” and the climate of the Amazon Basin as a Gaian system.Less
This is a multidisciplinary reexamination of the Gaia hypothesis, which was introduced by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis in the early 1970s. The Gaia hypothesis holds that Earth’s physical and biological processes are linked to form a complex, self-regulating system, and that life has affected this system over time. Until a few decades ago, most of the earth sciences viewed the planet through disciplinary lenses: biology, chemistry, geology, atmospheric, and ocean studies. The Gaia hypothesis, on the other hand, takes a very broad interdisciplinary approach. Its most controversial aspect suggests that life actively participates in shaping the physical and chemical environment on which it depends in a way that optimizes the conditions for life. Despite initial dismissal of the Gaian approach as New Age philosophy, it has today been incorporated into mainstream interdisciplinary scientific theory, as seen in its strong influence on the field of Earth System Science. This book provides a multi-faceted examination of Gaia as science and addresses significant criticism of, and changes in, the hypothesis since its introduction. Chapters explore the scientific, philosophical, and theoretical foundations of Gaia. They address such topics as the compatibility of natural selection and Gaian processes, Gaia and the “thermodynamics of life,” the role of computer models in Gaian science (from James Lovelock’s famous but controversial “Daisyworld” to more sophisticated models that use the techniques of artificial life), pre-Socratic precedents for the idea of a “Living Earth,” and the climate of the Amazon Basin as a Gaian system.
Susan W. Beatty
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780199837656
- eISBN:
- 9780190267865
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:osobl/9780199837656.003.0008
- Subject:
- Biology, Plant Sciences and Forestry
This chapter examines the effects of four factors in determining the species composition and richness of northeastern deciduous forest communities in the context of spatially and temporally ...
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This chapter examines the effects of four factors in determining the species composition and richness of northeastern deciduous forest communities in the context of spatially and temporally heterogeneous environments. These factors are disturbance, patterns in physical factors (soils, microclimate), biological processes (e.g., competition, dispersal, colonization, and extinction), and history (land use, anthropogenic impacts, and successional age). In most cases, spatial heterogeneity appears to provide a means by which species are maintained in the community. This maintenance may be a result of the presence of a specialized microsite in which a species finds a tolerable environment with minimal competition (pits), or the presence of a keystone competitor in a rich microsite (mounds) that allows coexistence of numerous species with lower population sizes by preventing other potential dominants from exerting greater influence.Less
This chapter examines the effects of four factors in determining the species composition and richness of northeastern deciduous forest communities in the context of spatially and temporally heterogeneous environments. These factors are disturbance, patterns in physical factors (soils, microclimate), biological processes (e.g., competition, dispersal, colonization, and extinction), and history (land use, anthropogenic impacts, and successional age). In most cases, spatial heterogeneity appears to provide a means by which species are maintained in the community. This maintenance may be a result of the presence of a specialized microsite in which a species finds a tolerable environment with minimal competition (pits), or the presence of a keystone competitor in a rich microsite (mounds) that allows coexistence of numerous species with lower population sizes by preventing other potential dominants from exerting greater influence.
