Hierarchical organization of 'systems within systems' is an apparent characteristic of nature.
For many biotic and abiotic systems it is known how the nested structural and functional …

Schrödinger [Schrödinger, E., 1944. What is Life? Cambridge University Press, Cambridge]
marvelled at how the organism is able to use metabolic energy to maintain and even …

In this paper we explore the relevance and integration of system theory and thermodynamics
in terms of the Earth system. It is proposed that together, these fields explain the evolution …

Darwin proposed that the capacity of organisms to produce more offspring that can be
supported by the environment would lead to a struggle for existence, and individuals that are …

This article proposes a thermodynamic paradigm for the development of ecosystems.
Ecosystems are viewed as non-equilibrium structures and processes, open to material and …

Recognition that biological systems are stabilized far from equilibrium by self-organizing,
informed, autocatalytic cycles and structures that dissipate unusable energy and matter has …

Integrating concepts of maintenance and of origins is essential to explaining biological
diversity. The unified theory of evolution attempts to find a common theme linking production …

The evolution of multicellular eukaryotes expresses two sorts of adaptations: local
adaptations like fur or feathers, which characterize species in particular environments, and …

One of the most important features of biosystems is how they are able to maintain local order
(low entropy) within their system boundaries. At the ecosystem scale, this organization can …

In the last paragraph of The Origin of Species, Darwin's famous description of a 'tangled
bank'begs an obvious question. How do we understand nature given the consequences of …