THE CONCEPT OF COMPLEXITY IN EVOLUTIVE BIOLOGY: A SYNTHETIC REVIEW. (original) (raw)

The complexity of living organisms is still debated within the scientific community, especially to define it formally. There seems to be a world of difference between on the one hand defenders of a significant complexity in the Universe as a whole, more specifically biological complexity, and on the other hand advocates of the worthlessness of such topics. Moreover, in spite of remaining doubts, particularly about the little conclusive evidence available, a growing consensus suggests that biological complexity is increasing. A number of scientific authors having addressed the issue for may years, I propose in this article a review of their various ideas, including the origin and the consequences of biological complexity.