Principles of Animal Design
The Optimization and Symmorphosis Debate
Ewald R Weibel editor C Richard Taylor editor Liana Bolis editor
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Cambridge University Press
Published:28th Feb '98
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Paperback£56.00(9780521586672)

The book discusses whether animals are designed according to the same rules that engineers use in building machines.
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.
"...rich in examples of how functionally integrated systems provide evidence for or against the theory of symmorphosis. It is, moreover, a useful source of data for those interested in issues of constraint and optimization in animal design." Evolutionary Anthropology
ISBN: 9780521583701
Dimensions: 237mm x 159mm x 23mm
Weight: 630g
336 pages