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The Species Problem

A Philosophical Analysis. Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Biology

By (author) Richard A. Richards
Format: Paperback / softback
Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Published: 30th Jul 2015
Dimensions: w 152mm h 229mm d 13mm
Weight: 338g
ISBN-10: 1107541077
ISBN-13: 9781107541078
Barcode No: 9781107541078
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Synopsis
There is long-standing disagreement among systematists about how to divide biodiversity into species. Over twenty different species concepts are used to group organisms, according to criteria as diverse as morphological or molecular similarity, interbreeding and genealogical relationships. This, combined with the implications of evolutionary biology, raises the worry that either there is no single kind of species, or that species are not real. This book surveys the history of thinking about species from Aristotle to modern systematics in order to understand the origin of the problem, and advocates a solution based on the idea of the division of conceptual labor, whereby species concepts function in different ways - theoretically and operationally. It also considers related topics such as individuality and the metaphysics of evolution, and how scientific terms get their meaning. This important addition to the current debate will be essential for philosophers and historians of science, and for biologists.

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'... an entertaining read and well organized ... a launching off point for a new direction in studying the species problem.' Metascience