A levels-of-selection approach to evolutionary individuality

摘要: What changes when an evolutionary transition in individuality takes place? Many different answers have been given, respect of cases actual transition, but some suggested a general answer: that major is change the extent to which selection acts at one hierarchical level rather than another. The current paper evaluates ways develop this answer as way characterise property ‘evolutionary individuality’; and offers justification option taken Clarke (J Philos 110(8):413–435, 2013)—to define terms object’s capacity undergo its own level. In addition, I suggest method by can be measured argue problem often considered fatal method—the ‘cross-level by-products’—can avoided.