Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"That life is connected to death, and to evolution, is incontrovertible. But what might be the connection between death and evolution? That is, might death be an adaptation? That’s the startling conclusion reached by Durand in this brief volume, which combines philosophy, biological theory, and empirical science in often thrilling ways... Durand thinks big thoughts but is careful, in his prose, to involve readers whose interest in theoretical biology exceeds their grasp. A very important book. Highly recommended." * Choice Connect *
"[
The Evolutionary Origins of Life and Death] constitutes an impressive effort to integrate into a unified and coherent framework different and dispersed pieces of empirical work about how life and death emerged on Earth, and about how these two phenomena coevolved to become deeply entangled." * History and Philosophy of Life Sciences *
“An eye opener for many readers, biologists, and others interested in visiting the frontiers of today’s conceptual thinking on evolution. This book, compact and simple but densely packed with information and ideas, presents the new edifice of evolutionary biology, a vibrant, progressing field that goes far beyond the confines of neo-Darwinism.” -- Eugene V. Koonin, National Center for Biotechnology Information, from the foreword
“There is no question that Durand is deeply learned. The way that he lays out his argument linking life and death is certainly innovative and I am sure will attract attention. Insightful and stimulating,
The Evolutionary Origins of Life and Death will forward discussion on important issues.” -- Michael Ruse, Florida State University
Table of ContentsForeword (by Eugene V. Koonin)
Preface
List of abbreviations
An introduction to the scientific study of life and death
Part One: The origin of life
1 Philosophical considerations and the origin of life
2 The biotic world
3 The theory of life’s origins
4 Life at the very beginning I: the chemistry of the first biomolecules
5 Life at the very beginning II: the emergence of complex RNA molecules
6 The origin of life was an evolutionary transition in individuality
7 A synthesis for the origin of life
Part Two: The origin of death
8 Philosophical considerations and the origin of death
9 Observations of death
10 Mechanisms and measures of programmed cell death in the unicellular world
11 True PCD: when PCD is an adaptation
12 Ersatz PCD: the non-adaptive explanations for PCD
13 Programmed cell death and the levels of selection
14 A synthesis for the origin of programmed cell death
Part Three: Origins of life and death, and their coevolution
15 Group selection and the origins of life and death
16 Life and death coevolution, and the emergence of complexity
Postface
Additional notes
Reference list
Index
