Knowingo
Adaptation and natural selection; a critique of some current evolutionary thought
When is a trait truly an adaptation shaped by natural selection, and when is it only a side effect or chance?
At a glance
- Author
- George C. Williams
Why read it
- You will stop calling every useful effect a purpose or a design
- You will stop explaining a trait as good for the group or species when a benefit to the individual is enough
- You will treat the word adaptation as a claim that needs evidence, not a casual label
Who it is for
- Biology students sharpening how they argue about evolution
- Readers who hear evolution used as an all purpose explanation
- Scientists who want precise language for explaining traits
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