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Can I read The Major Transitions in Evolution. on EtoBox?
The Major Transitions in Evolution. by John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szathmáry is a science book available to read on EtoBox.
What is The Major Transitions in Evolution. about?
Over the history of life there have been several major changes in the way genetic information is organized and transmitted from one generation to the next. These transitions include the origin of life itself, the first eukaryotic cells, reproduction by sexual means, the appearance of multicellular plants and animals, the emergence of cooperation and of animal societies, and the unique language ability of humans. This ambitious book provides the first unified discussion of the full range of these transitions. The authors highlight the similarities between different transitions--between the union of replicating molecules to form chromosomes and of cells to form multicellular organisms, for example--and show how understanding one transition sheds light on others. They trace a common theme throughout the history of evolution: after a major transition some entities lose the ability to replicate independently, becoming able to reproduce only as part of a larger whole. The authors investigate this pattern and why selection between entities at a lower level does not disrupt selection at more complex levels. Their explanation encompasses a compelling theory of the evolution of cooperat
Who reads The Major Transitions in Evolution.?
It is typically read by self-directed learners exploring a subject in depth.
Common subject areas: history, science, philosophy, social sciences.
- Author
- John Maynard Smith and Eörs Szathmáry
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press, USA
- Published
- 1997
- Language
- EN
- ISBN
- 9780191919237
- Category
- science
- Subjects
- Fiction, Science, Biology
- Rating
- 4.19 / 5 (78 ratings)
- Updated
- 2026-03-14
