Principles of Animal Design

The Optimization and Symmorphosis Debate

Ewald R. Weibel, C. Richard Taylor, Liana Bolis (Herausgeber)

Buch | Softcover

336 Seiten

1998
Cambridge University Press (Verlag)
978-0-521-58667-2 (ISBN)

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In this book, eminent biologists discuss whether animals are designed according to the same rules that engineers use in building machines; namely that materials and energy are used economically while achieving a high level of performance. This is controversial because, although there is evidence for this idea, evolution tells us that animals are not 'engineered' but result by natural selection.

The book discusses the controversial issue of whether animals are designed according to the same rules that engineers use in building machines, namely that materials and energy are used economically while attempting to achieve a high level of performance. There is considerable scientific controversy surrounding this question because, although there is much evidence suggesting that animals are indeed well designed, evolutionary biology tells us that animals are not 'engineered' but result from evolution by natural selection. This book collates this evidence which is discussed by a group of eminent biologists from many different biological disciplines.

A Tribute to C. Richard Taylor Ewald R. Weibel and Liana Bolis; A life with animals: from cat to fish Liana Bolis; 1. Symmorphosis and optimization of biological design: introduction and questions Ewald R. Weibel; 2. How much structure is enough? Knut Schmidt-Nielsen, Steven Vogel, Jared M. Diamond and R. McNeil Alexander; 3. Evolution of optimal systems Malcolm S. Gordon, Theodore Garland, Jr, Martin E. Feder and Robert E. Ricklefs; 4. Bone design and biomechanics Simon Maddrell, Pieter Dullemeijer, Andrew A. Biewener, Daniel E. Lieberman and Alfred W. Crompton; 5. Muscles and locomotion James W. Glasheen, Dirk Pette, Robert S. Staron, H. Lee Sweeney, Lawrence C. Rome, Thomas J. Roberts and Daniel Weihs; 6. Design of cells for metabolism Stan L. Lindstedt, Paul A. Srere, Peter W. Hochachka, Keven E. Conley and Raul K. Suarez; 7. Lungs and gills for gas exchange Pierre Dejours, Connie C. W. Hsia, John N. Maina, Edwin W. Taylor and David Randall; 8. Nutrient supply system Amiram Shkolnik, Kimberly A. Hammond, Ian D. Hume, Reinhold R. Hofmann and Wolfgang Wieser; 9. Integrative systems for oxygen and fuel delivery Ricardo Martinez-Ruiz, James H. Jones, Jean-Michel Weber, Hans Hoppeler, Yvon Le Maho and Mohamed Bnouham; 10. Design of nervous systems Richard D. Keynes, Simon B. Laughlin and Eviatar Nevo; 11. How good is best? Some afterthoughts on symmorphosis and optimization Ewald R. Weibel; Index.

Erscheint lt. Verlag	28.2.1998
Zusatzinfo	7 Tables, unspecified; 11 Halftones, unspecified; 63 Line drawings, unspecified
Verlagsort	Cambridge
Sprache	englisch
Maße	152 x 229 mm
Gewicht	450 g
Themenwelt	Naturwissenschaften ► Biologie ► Zoologie
ISBN-10	0-521-58667-4 / 0521586674
ISBN-13	978-0-521-58667-2 / 9780521586672
Zustand	Neuware