If natural kinds were defined on the basis of fixed and immutable essences, then – with the end o... more If natural kinds were defined on the basis of fixed and immutable essences, then – with the end of essentialism in life sciences – their end, at least for those kinds confined to the living realm, would ensue as well (1-2). If appropriately revised and adapted, however, natural kinds may still play an important theoretical role, not only for the sake of philosophical speculation, but also in accomodating scientific practices and in providing an adequate rendering of human reasoning. The proposal outlined in this paper moves from the historical and disjunctive solutions of Millikan and Boyd, but it departs from them in that it offers a conventionalist interpretation of natural kinds. The bulk of the theory is presented through the case study of the distinction between sexes and genders (3). A few remarks on how to further the proposal are offered in the final section (4).
History, Philosophy and Theory of the Life Sciences, 2019
With the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that entered into force in 1993, the conservati... more With the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that entered into force in 1993, the conservation of biodiversity was recognized for the first time in international law as "a common concern of humankind" and almost the entire world committed to it. Conserving biodiversity, however, is far from being an easy task, as shown by the difficulties to reach the conservation targets articulated in the strategic plans connected to the CBD. The failure of the 2010 Biodiversity Target "to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level" has been explicitly recognized (Butchart et al. 2010). Moreover, there is a widespread scepticism, at present, concerning the possibility of achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020 (Tittensor et al. 2014), i.e., 20 time-bound targets included into the CBD strategic plan 2011-2020 (such as, for instance, making people aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve it (Target 1) or identifying and eradicating invasive species (Target 9)). 1 Despite increasing communication, accelerating policy and management responses, and notwithstanding improving ecosystem assessment and endangered species knowledge, conserving biodiversity continues to be more a concern than an
History, Philosophy and Theory of the Life Sciences, 2019
In recent years, we have assisted to an impressive effort to identify and catalogue biodiversity ... more In recent years, we have assisted to an impressive effort to identify and catalogue biodiversity at the microbial level across a wide range of environments, human bodies included (e.g., skin, oral cavity, intestines). This effort, fostered by the decreasing cost of DNA sequencing, highlighted not only the vast diversity at the microbial level but also the importance of cells' social interactions, potentially leading to the emergence of novel diversity. In this contribution, we shall argue that entities other than species, and in particular multispecies biofilms, might play a crucial-and still underestimated-role in increasing biodiversity as well as in conserving it. In particular, after having discussed how microbial diversity impacts ecosystems (Sect. 9.1), we argue (Sect. 9.2) that multispecies biofilms may increase biodiversity at both the genetic and phenotypic level. In Sect. 9.3 we discuss the possibility that multispecies biofilms, both heterotrophic and autotrophic, are evolutionary individuals, i.e. units of selection. In the conclusion, we highlight a major limitation of the traditional species-based approach to biodiversity origination and conservation.
Historically, the inquiry into the nature of gender has been mainly focused on the relation betwe... more Historically, the inquiry into the nature of gender has been mainly focused on the relation between gender and sex, but recently an increasing number of analytic feminists is coming to consider the status of gender also in its correlation with the categories of race and family. On this approach, it would be a mistake to isolate conditions such as gender, race, class, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic position, family status: insofar as they are social constructions, all these notions differ from one society to another, and they are in some way deeply entangled. In other words, according to this approach, in order to make sense of one of the conditions above it is necessary to consider it in its connections with the others. Take gender, for instance. Women or men do not experience their membership in a gender all in the same way. The gender experience will depend both on the particular individual at issue (on her sensitivity, her history, her biological constitutio...
The 17th and 18th centuries were the theatre of the fight between two main theories concerning th... more The 17th and 18th centuries were the theatre of the fight between two main theories concerning the development of organisms: preformationism (or preformism) and epigeneticism (or epigenesis). According to the first, the formation of new features during organisms’ development can be seen as the result of a mere unfolding of features that were preformed in the sperm, the egg, or the zygote. According to epigeneticism, there is no pre-existing form, and development is a process where genuinely new characters emerge from formless matter. The debate involved naturalists, anatomists, physiologists, microscopists, medical doctors, and philosophers as well. Current developmental biology is, according to some, still inspired (or haunted) by the age-old controversy. The aim of this contribution is twofold. First, to discuss in which guise, if any, the old controversy is still shaping the contemporary debate in biology and philosophy of biology; and, second, to sketch Schelling’s position on that debate, suggesting that it may contain some still valuable philosophical insight.
The concept of nature in Western thought has been informed by the assumption of a categorical dis... more The concept of nature in Western thought has been informed by the assumption of a categorical distinction between natural and artificial entities, which goes back to John Stuart Mill or even Aristotle. Such a way of articulating the natural/artificial distinction has proven unfit for conservation purposes mainly because of the extent and the pervasiveness of human activities that would leave no nature left to be conserved, and alternative views have been advanced. In this contribution, after arguing for the importance of the concept of naturalness as a guide for conservation, I will try to provide an account of the natural/artificial distinction suited to contemporary conservation framing. Focusing on a particular kind of objects that I suggest to name “environmental objects”, I propose and defend the view of “naturalness as independence” according to which the more or less an environmental object's identity conditions and survival depend on human intervention, the more or less that object is artificial or natural, respectively. According to this view, conserving environmental objects will equate to maintaining or improving their naturalness (vis-à-vis their artefactualness) or even originating artificial objects that may become new natural objects. This view has the advantage, on the one hand, of providing a rationale for a distinction which is not only part of how people think, but also pervasive in conservation practices and policies and, on the other hand, of accounting for the global pervasiveness of human intervention in the so-called natural world.
I testi che seguono sono la trascrizione fedele di uno scambio epistolare che ha avuto luogo tra ... more I testi che seguono sono la trascrizione fedele di uno scambio epistolare che ha avuto luogo tra i nostri nomi, 'Elena Casetta' e 'Achille Varzi'. Man mano che la corrispondenza procedeva, e le missive toccavano temi sempre più spinosi, abbiamo potuto notare che sono intervenuti-crediamo spontaneamente-altri partecipanti: Giuliano Torrengo nei panni di 'acqua', Diego Marconi a nome di 'Diego Marconi'. È poi da rilevare un'apparizione straordinaria di 'Allen Hazen', per gentile concessione di uno dei suoi portatori, come ci è stato confermato. Sull'identità di 'Panthera tigris' non siamo invece in grado di formulare alcuna ipotesi, benché i nostri nomi ci assicurino che si tratti di un amico fidato. A tutti va il nostro ringraziamento per avere acconsentito alla pubblicazione integrale delle loro parole su queste pagine, fermo restando che ogni responsabilità per eventuali errori di trascrittura sia solo nostra. Ginevra, 25 Settembre 2004 Caro 'Achille', È da un po' che mi proponevo di scriverti e spero di non apparirti troppo invadente se lo faccio così, senza alcun preavviso. Mi chiedevo e continuo a chiedermi: ma tu ti trovi bene con questo tuo portatore che ho conosciuto? Voglio dire, ti senti a tuo agio, ritieni che ti si adatti, insomma, ti calza? Infatti mi è giunta voce che ne hai avuti altri-di portatori, intendo-e anche persone di un certo calibro. Sei sempre tu, che passi di portatore in portatore, oppure è un altro 'Achille'? Cerco di spiegarmi meglio. Tu sei un nome solo, oppure sei tanti nomi diversi ma foneticamente identici? Perché, vedi, effettivamente a me sembra che ci sia un po' di bisticcio: tu sei uno, ma i tuoi portatori sono molti, potenzialmente infiniti. Non soffri di crisi di identità? Inoltre mi chiedevo, com'è che li scegli i tuoi portatori? Li scegli a caso (vedi un individuo che ti sembra interes
Volume 1 Il realismo scientifico di Evandro Agazzi Mario Alai (a cura di) Volume 2 Complessità e ... more Volume 1 Il realismo scientifico di Evandro Agazzi Mario Alai (a cura di) Volume 2 Complessità e riduzionismo Vincenzo Fano, Enrico Giannetto, Giulia Giannini, Pierluigi Graziani (a cura di) Volume 3 Oltre la fisica normale Isabella Tassani (a cura di) Volume 4 Mettere a fuoco il mondo Elena Casetta, Valeria Giardino (a cura di) ISONOMIA-Epistemologica Series Editor Gino Tarozzi
With the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that entered into force in 1993, the conservati... more With the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that entered into force in 1993, the conservation of biodiversity was recognized for the first time in international law as "a common concern of humankind" and almost the entire world committed to it. Conserving biodiversity, however, is far from being an easy task, as shown by the difficulties to reach the conservation targets articulated in the strategic plans connected to the CBD. The failure of the 2010 Biodiversity Target "to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level" has been explicitly recognized (Butchart et al. 2010). Moreover, there is a widespread scepticism, at present, concerning the possibility of achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020 (Tittensor et al. 2014), i.e., 20 time-bound targets included into the CBD strategic plan 2011-2020 (such as, for instance, making people aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve it (Target 1) or identifying and eradicating invasive species (Target 9)). 1 Despite increasing communication, accelerating policy and management responses, and notwithstanding improving ecosystem assessment and endangered species knowledge, conserving biodiversity continues to be more a concern than an
In this paper, the need of increasing transdisciplinarity research is advocated. After having set... more In this paper, the need of increasing transdisciplinarity research is advocated. After having set out some peculiarity of transdisciplinarity compared with related concepts such as multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity, four evolutionary stages of scientific disciplines, based on a model recently proposed (Shneider in Trends Biochem Sci 34:217-223, 2009) are presented. This model is then applied to the case of Plant Physiology in order to attempt an evaluation of the potential for transdisciplinary engagement of the discipline, and each of the four stages of the discipline is evaluated. In conclusion, some future perspectives of Plant Physiology are sketched with reference to its transdisciplinary potential.
If natural kinds were defined on the basis of fixed and immutable essences, then – with the end o... more If natural kinds were defined on the basis of fixed and immutable essences, then – with the end of essentialism in life sciences – their end, at least for those kinds confined to the living realm, would ensue as well (1-2). If appropriately revised and adapted, however, natural kinds may still play an important theoretical role, not only for the sake of philosophical speculation, but also in accomodating scientific practices and in providing an adequate rendering of human reasoning. The proposal outlined in this paper moves from the historical and disjunctive solutions of Millikan and Boyd, but it departs from them in that it offers a conventionalist interpretation of natural kinds. The bulk of the theory is presented through the case study of the distinction between sexes and genders (3). A few remarks on how to further the proposal are offered in the final section (4).
History, Philosophy and Theory of the Life Sciences, 2019
With the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that entered into force in 1993, the conservati... more With the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that entered into force in 1993, the conservation of biodiversity was recognized for the first time in international law as "a common concern of humankind" and almost the entire world committed to it. Conserving biodiversity, however, is far from being an easy task, as shown by the difficulties to reach the conservation targets articulated in the strategic plans connected to the CBD. The failure of the 2010 Biodiversity Target "to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level" has been explicitly recognized (Butchart et al. 2010). Moreover, there is a widespread scepticism, at present, concerning the possibility of achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020 (Tittensor et al. 2014), i.e., 20 time-bound targets included into the CBD strategic plan 2011-2020 (such as, for instance, making people aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve it (Target 1) or identifying and eradicating invasive species (Target 9)). 1 Despite increasing communication, accelerating policy and management responses, and notwithstanding improving ecosystem assessment and endangered species knowledge, conserving biodiversity continues to be more a concern than an
History, Philosophy and Theory of the Life Sciences, 2019
In recent years, we have assisted to an impressive effort to identify and catalogue biodiversity ... more In recent years, we have assisted to an impressive effort to identify and catalogue biodiversity at the microbial level across a wide range of environments, human bodies included (e.g., skin, oral cavity, intestines). This effort, fostered by the decreasing cost of DNA sequencing, highlighted not only the vast diversity at the microbial level but also the importance of cells' social interactions, potentially leading to the emergence of novel diversity. In this contribution, we shall argue that entities other than species, and in particular multispecies biofilms, might play a crucial-and still underestimated-role in increasing biodiversity as well as in conserving it. In particular, after having discussed how microbial diversity impacts ecosystems (Sect. 9.1), we argue (Sect. 9.2) that multispecies biofilms may increase biodiversity at both the genetic and phenotypic level. In Sect. 9.3 we discuss the possibility that multispecies biofilms, both heterotrophic and autotrophic, are evolutionary individuals, i.e. units of selection. In the conclusion, we highlight a major limitation of the traditional species-based approach to biodiversity origination and conservation.
Historically, the inquiry into the nature of gender has been mainly focused on the relation betwe... more Historically, the inquiry into the nature of gender has been mainly focused on the relation between gender and sex, but recently an increasing number of analytic feminists is coming to consider the status of gender also in its correlation with the categories of race and family. On this approach, it would be a mistake to isolate conditions such as gender, race, class, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, economic position, family status: insofar as they are social constructions, all these notions differ from one society to another, and they are in some way deeply entangled. In other words, according to this approach, in order to make sense of one of the conditions above it is necessary to consider it in its connections with the others. Take gender, for instance. Women or men do not experience their membership in a gender all in the same way. The gender experience will depend both on the particular individual at issue (on her sensitivity, her history, her biological constitutio...
The 17th and 18th centuries were the theatre of the fight between two main theories concerning th... more The 17th and 18th centuries were the theatre of the fight between two main theories concerning the development of organisms: preformationism (or preformism) and epigeneticism (or epigenesis). According to the first, the formation of new features during organisms’ development can be seen as the result of a mere unfolding of features that were preformed in the sperm, the egg, or the zygote. According to epigeneticism, there is no pre-existing form, and development is a process where genuinely new characters emerge from formless matter. The debate involved naturalists, anatomists, physiologists, microscopists, medical doctors, and philosophers as well. Current developmental biology is, according to some, still inspired (or haunted) by the age-old controversy. The aim of this contribution is twofold. First, to discuss in which guise, if any, the old controversy is still shaping the contemporary debate in biology and philosophy of biology; and, second, to sketch Schelling’s position on that debate, suggesting that it may contain some still valuable philosophical insight.
The concept of nature in Western thought has been informed by the assumption of a categorical dis... more The concept of nature in Western thought has been informed by the assumption of a categorical distinction between natural and artificial entities, which goes back to John Stuart Mill or even Aristotle. Such a way of articulating the natural/artificial distinction has proven unfit for conservation purposes mainly because of the extent and the pervasiveness of human activities that would leave no nature left to be conserved, and alternative views have been advanced. In this contribution, after arguing for the importance of the concept of naturalness as a guide for conservation, I will try to provide an account of the natural/artificial distinction suited to contemporary conservation framing. Focusing on a particular kind of objects that I suggest to name “environmental objects”, I propose and defend the view of “naturalness as independence” according to which the more or less an environmental object's identity conditions and survival depend on human intervention, the more or less that object is artificial or natural, respectively. According to this view, conserving environmental objects will equate to maintaining or improving their naturalness (vis-à-vis their artefactualness) or even originating artificial objects that may become new natural objects. This view has the advantage, on the one hand, of providing a rationale for a distinction which is not only part of how people think, but also pervasive in conservation practices and policies and, on the other hand, of accounting for the global pervasiveness of human intervention in the so-called natural world.
I testi che seguono sono la trascrizione fedele di uno scambio epistolare che ha avuto luogo tra ... more I testi che seguono sono la trascrizione fedele di uno scambio epistolare che ha avuto luogo tra i nostri nomi, 'Elena Casetta' e 'Achille Varzi'. Man mano che la corrispondenza procedeva, e le missive toccavano temi sempre più spinosi, abbiamo potuto notare che sono intervenuti-crediamo spontaneamente-altri partecipanti: Giuliano Torrengo nei panni di 'acqua', Diego Marconi a nome di 'Diego Marconi'. È poi da rilevare un'apparizione straordinaria di 'Allen Hazen', per gentile concessione di uno dei suoi portatori, come ci è stato confermato. Sull'identità di 'Panthera tigris' non siamo invece in grado di formulare alcuna ipotesi, benché i nostri nomi ci assicurino che si tratti di un amico fidato. A tutti va il nostro ringraziamento per avere acconsentito alla pubblicazione integrale delle loro parole su queste pagine, fermo restando che ogni responsabilità per eventuali errori di trascrittura sia solo nostra. Ginevra, 25 Settembre 2004 Caro 'Achille', È da un po' che mi proponevo di scriverti e spero di non apparirti troppo invadente se lo faccio così, senza alcun preavviso. Mi chiedevo e continuo a chiedermi: ma tu ti trovi bene con questo tuo portatore che ho conosciuto? Voglio dire, ti senti a tuo agio, ritieni che ti si adatti, insomma, ti calza? Infatti mi è giunta voce che ne hai avuti altri-di portatori, intendo-e anche persone di un certo calibro. Sei sempre tu, che passi di portatore in portatore, oppure è un altro 'Achille'? Cerco di spiegarmi meglio. Tu sei un nome solo, oppure sei tanti nomi diversi ma foneticamente identici? Perché, vedi, effettivamente a me sembra che ci sia un po' di bisticcio: tu sei uno, ma i tuoi portatori sono molti, potenzialmente infiniti. Non soffri di crisi di identità? Inoltre mi chiedevo, com'è che li scegli i tuoi portatori? Li scegli a caso (vedi un individuo che ti sembra interes
Volume 1 Il realismo scientifico di Evandro Agazzi Mario Alai (a cura di) Volume 2 Complessità e ... more Volume 1 Il realismo scientifico di Evandro Agazzi Mario Alai (a cura di) Volume 2 Complessità e riduzionismo Vincenzo Fano, Enrico Giannetto, Giulia Giannini, Pierluigi Graziani (a cura di) Volume 3 Oltre la fisica normale Isabella Tassani (a cura di) Volume 4 Mettere a fuoco il mondo Elena Casetta, Valeria Giardino (a cura di) ISONOMIA-Epistemologica Series Editor Gino Tarozzi
With the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that entered into force in 1993, the conservati... more With the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that entered into force in 1993, the conservation of biodiversity was recognized for the first time in international law as "a common concern of humankind" and almost the entire world committed to it. Conserving biodiversity, however, is far from being an easy task, as shown by the difficulties to reach the conservation targets articulated in the strategic plans connected to the CBD. The failure of the 2010 Biodiversity Target "to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss at the global, regional and national level" has been explicitly recognized (Butchart et al. 2010). Moreover, there is a widespread scepticism, at present, concerning the possibility of achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020 (Tittensor et al. 2014), i.e., 20 time-bound targets included into the CBD strategic plan 2011-2020 (such as, for instance, making people aware of the values of biodiversity and the steps they can take to conserve it (Target 1) or identifying and eradicating invasive species (Target 9)). 1 Despite increasing communication, accelerating policy and management responses, and notwithstanding improving ecosystem assessment and endangered species knowledge, conserving biodiversity continues to be more a concern than an
In this paper, the need of increasing transdisciplinarity research is advocated. After having set... more In this paper, the need of increasing transdisciplinarity research is advocated. After having set out some peculiarity of transdisciplinarity compared with related concepts such as multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity, four evolutionary stages of scientific disciplines, based on a model recently proposed (Shneider in Trends Biochem Sci 34:217-223, 2009) are presented. This model is then applied to the case of Plant Physiology in order to attempt an evaluation of the potential for transdisciplinary engagement of the discipline, and each of the four stages of the discipline is evaluated. In conclusion, some future perspectives of Plant Physiology are sketched with reference to its transdisciplinary potential.
Siamo in grado di tracciare il confine tra mondo inanimato e mondo vivente? Attraverso quali mecc... more Siamo in grado di tracciare il confine tra mondo inanimato e mondo vivente? Attraverso quali meccanismi l’evoluzione ha prodotto la diversità della vita e quale ruolo rivestono il caso e la necessità? Su quali presupposti si fondano le tassonomie biologiche e che rapporto intrattengono con il mondo che classificano? Il compito di rispondere a domande come queste spetta alla filosofia della biologia. Il volume si struttura come un corso di livello universitario, accessibile a chiunque voglia avvicinarsi alla disciplina attraverso una trattazione agevole, ma aggiornata e rigorosa, dei temi principali attraverso i quali essa si articola.
This book is divided in two parts, the first of which shows how, beyond paleontology and systematics, macroevolutionary theories apply key insights from ecology and biogeography, developmental biology, biophysics, molecular phylogenetics, and even the sociocultural sciences to explain evolution in deep time. In the second part, the phenomenon of macroevolution is examined with the help of real life-history case studies on the evolution of eukaryotic sex, the formation of anatomical form and body-plans, extinction and speciation events of marine invertebrates, hominin evolution and species conservation ethics.
The book brings together leading experts, who explain pivotal concepts such as Punctuated Equilibria, Stasis, Developmental Constraints, Adaptive Radiations, Habitat Tracking, Turnovers, (Mass) Extinctions, Species Sorting, Major Transitions, Trends, and Hierarchies – key premises that allow macroevolutionary epistemic frameworks to transcend microevolutionary theories that focus on genetic variation, selection, migration and fitness.
Along the way, the contributing authors review ongoing debates and current scientific challenges; detail new and fascinating scientific tools and techniques that allow us to cross the classic borders between disciplines; demonstrate how their theories make it possible to extend the Modern Synthesis; present guidelines on how the macroevolutionary field could be further developed; and provide a rich view of just how it was that life evolved across time and space. In short, this book is a must-read for active scholars and, because the technical aspects are fully explained, it is also accessible for non-specialists.
Understanding evolution requires a solid grasp of above-population phenomena. Species are real biological individuals, and abiotic factors impact the future course of evolution. Beyond observation, when the explanation of macroevolution is the goal, we need both evidence and theory that enable us to explain and interpret how life evolves at the grand scale.
An exchange of letters among proper names and natural-kind terms, dealing with various identity a... more An exchange of letters among proper names and natural-kind terms, dealing with various identity and individuation problems (rigid designation, use-mention ambiguities, translation) from their point of view.
How can race and sex affect the way we perceive and shape our gender experience and gender expres... more How can race and sex affect the way we perceive and shape our gender experience and gender expression? Are there different types of human bodies and different ways of sexually classifying them? What does make a woman (or man) a mother (or father)?; Is parenthood a biological or natural relationship? What defines a family? One of the main topics in analytic feminist philosophy is the notion of gender and it is widely held that it is a social constructed concept or category. This issue of Humana.Mente will address these and related questions.
Special issue of Rivista di estetica, Vol. 49:2, 2009
A collection of new articles on the nature of conventions and on the tenability of conventionalis... more A collection of new articles on the nature of conventions and on the tenability of conventionalist positions in various areas of philosophy, from metaphysics to epistemology, value theory, logic, and the philosophy of language. Introduction by E. Casetta. Papers by M. Ferraris, L. Franklin-Hall, M. García-Carpintero, F. Guala, A. P. Hazen, K. Miller, L. Morena, M. Rossi and J. Tagliabue, G. Torrengo, V. Tripodi, J. Westerhoff.
Roundtable: (Re-)thinking nature?
Thematic Section 14. Environmental Philosophy and Sustainabi... more Roundtable: (Re-)thinking nature?
Thematic Section 14. Environmental Philosophy and Sustainability La Sapienza University of Rome, Department C, room 12 5 of August 2024, 3 pm Organizers and chairs: Elena Casetta and Maeve Cooke
Maeve Cooke, Decentring agency. Reconfiguring human responsibility in an age of ecocide • Simone Pollo, The value of nature: The hard case for moral progress • Carmen Lea Dege, Nature and myth in critical theory • Kelly Agra, (Mis)education and the loss of 'ecological attunement': Decolonial contentions on ecological alienation and the appropriation of nature • Teea Kortetmäki, Reviewing landscapes as cohabitable places • Tina Heger, 'Ecological novelty'. A conceptual framework for describing states of nature in the Anthropocene • Andrea Borghini, Elena Casetta, Nicola Piras, Towards a pluralistic framework for food biodiversity • Mariagrazia Portera, The Role of Beauty in Conservation Sciences: Across Nature and Culture.
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Papers by elena casetta
This book is divided in two parts, the first of which shows how, beyond paleontology and systematics, macroevolutionary theories apply key insights from ecology and biogeography, developmental biology, biophysics, molecular phylogenetics, and even the sociocultural sciences to explain evolution in deep time. In the second part, the phenomenon of macroevolution is examined with the help of real life-history case studies on the evolution of eukaryotic sex, the formation of anatomical form and body-plans, extinction and speciation events of marine invertebrates, hominin evolution and species conservation ethics.
The book brings together leading experts, who explain pivotal concepts such as Punctuated Equilibria, Stasis, Developmental Constraints, Adaptive Radiations, Habitat Tracking, Turnovers, (Mass) Extinctions, Species Sorting, Major Transitions, Trends, and Hierarchies – key premises that allow macroevolutionary epistemic frameworks to transcend microevolutionary theories that focus on genetic variation, selection, migration and fitness.
Along the way, the contributing authors review ongoing debates and current scientific challenges; detail new and fascinating scientific tools and techniques that allow us to cross the classic borders between disciplines; demonstrate how their theories make it possible to extend the Modern Synthesis; present guidelines on how the macroevolutionary field could be further developed; and provide a rich view of just how it was that life evolved across time and space. In short, this book is a must-read for active scholars and, because the technical aspects are fully explained, it is also accessible for non-specialists.
Understanding evolution requires a solid grasp of above-population phenomena. Species are real biological individuals, and abiotic factors impact the future course of evolution. Beyond observation, when the explanation of macroevolution is the goal, we need both evidence and theory that enable us to explain and interpret how life evolves at the grand scale.
does make a woman (or man) a mother (or father)?; Is parenthood a biological or natural relationship? What defines a family? One of the main topics in analytic feminist philosophy is the notion of gender and it is widely held that it is a social constructed concept or category. This issue of Humana.Mente will address these and related questions.
Thematic Section 14. Environmental Philosophy and Sustainability
La Sapienza University of Rome, Department C, room 12
5 of August 2024, 3 pm
Organizers and chairs: Elena Casetta and Maeve Cooke
Maeve Cooke, Decentring agency. Reconfiguring human responsibility in an age of ecocide • Simone Pollo, The value of nature: The hard case for moral progress • Carmen Lea Dege, Nature and myth in critical theory • Kelly Agra, (Mis)education and the loss of 'ecological attunement': Decolonial contentions on ecological alienation and the appropriation of nature • Teea Kortetmäki, Reviewing landscapes as cohabitable places • Tina Heger, 'Ecological novelty'. A conceptual framework for describing states of nature in the Anthropocene • Andrea Borghini, Elena Casetta, Nicola Piras, Towards a pluralistic framework for food biodiversity • Mariagrazia Portera, The Role of Beauty in Conservation Sciences: Across Nature and Culture.