PODCAST · education
Darwinian Demons - Audio
by The Open University
Is 'natural selection' inimical to bio-diversity? Why is the natural world not dominated by a few 'super' species? And in the future, can the richness of nature be preserved? In this album, Jonathan Silvertown, Professor of Ecology at The Open University, explains how Darwinian theory uses the concept of niche specialisation to account for the diversity of flora and fauna on Earth. If it were not for environmental niches, Darwinian 'demons', might emerge, powerful species whose evolutionary fitness makes them all conquering. However, according to Darwin, the natural world is infinitely complex and inhabited by a multitude of different species, each of which is peculiarly adapted to its local environment.The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © Briti
Episodes
-
Darwinian demons
A brief introduction to album.
-
Ecology and evolution
If evolution is a drama, then ecology provides the theatre and Darwinian Demons are the potential villains of the piece. Darwian Demons are species that try to dominate everything - so what stops them?
-
Darwin's niches
Niche specialisation is a key element of Darwin's theory of evolution. Every habitat contains a multitude of smaller local enviroments, to which different species prove to be best adapted.
-
How demons self destruct
In reality Darwinian demons do not conquer all. They are often at the their most dangerous when taken out of their home environments.
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Is 'natural selection' inimical to bio-diversity? Why is the natural world not dominated by a few 'super' species? And in the future, can the richness of nature be preserved? In this album, Jonathan Silvertown, Professor of Ecology at The Open University, explains how Darwinian theory uses the concept of niche specialisation to account for the diversity of flora and fauna on Earth. If it were not for environmental niches, Darwinian 'demons', might emerge, powerful species whose evolutionary fitness makes them all conquering. However, according to Darwin, the natural world is infinitely complex and inhabited by a multitude of different species, each of which is peculiarly adapted to its local environment.The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © Briti
HOSTED BY
The Open University
CATEGORIES
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Darwinian Demons - Audio have?
Darwinian Demons - Audio currently has 8 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Darwinian Demons - Audio about?
Is 'natural selection' inimical to bio-diversity? Why is the natural world not dominated by a few 'super' species? And in the future, can the richness of nature be preserved? In this album, Jonathan Silvertown, Professor of Ecology at The Open University, explains how Darwinian theory uses the...
How often does Darwinian Demons - Audio release new episodes?
Darwinian Demons - Audio has 8 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Darwinian Demons - Audio?
You can listen to Darwinian Demons - Audio on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Darwinian Demons - Audio?
Darwinian Demons - Audio is created and hosted by The Open University.
URL copied to clipboard!