I get confused on the biology and paleontology terms, and even mixed up and fixed the terms in writing this. I think a 'phenotype' isn't actually referring to organisms, but one idealized form of organism resulting from a given set of genes. There's apparently more than one possibility of what type of organism will result from the same set of genes. I don't know if it's a technical distinction or actually alternate forms. One of my technical distinctions would be that when talking of biological development everyone is almost always talking about the growth of individual organisms, as you seem to be, not phenotypes. There may be no evidence at all of the 'growth' of phenotypes. One might call the growth of an organism the 'expression of a phenotype' as if the 'type' exists independently of the individuals we see the pattern in.
Anyway, developmental biology is a big field. One of my favorites on biological form isn't really about the systems of development, patterns of biological form. Try D'Arcy Thompson's ancient text "On Growth and Form" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Developmental_biology is also good. > > The development of the phenotype is perhaps > the most spectacular form of growth. Even if you > know the principles of epigenesis, morphogenesis > and molecular biology, it is still amazing how > a redwood tree can emerge from a single seed, > how a tyrannosaur can develop from a small egg, > and how a single cell can grow to a blue whale. > Does someone know good general books about this > topic ? > > -J. > > > ============================================================ > FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv > Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College > lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org > > ============================================================ FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
