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Methodological problems in evolutionary biology III. Selection and levels of organization

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Abstract

Apparently factual disagreement on the level(s) at which selection operates often results from different interpretations of the term “selection”. Attempts to resolve terminological problems must come to grips with a dilemma: a narrow interpretation of “selection” may lead to a restricted view on evolution; a broader, less precise, definition may wrongly suggest that “selection” is the centre of a unified, integrated theory of evolution. Different concepts of selection, therefore, should carefully be kept apart.

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Van Der Steen, W.J., Voorzanger, B. Methodological problems in evolutionary biology III. Selection and levels of organization. Acta Biotheor 33, 199–213 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00052645

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