The Selfish Gene

A gene is defined as any portion of chromosomal material that potentially lasts for enough generations to serve as a unit of natural selection. (Location 823)

Perhaps consciousness arises when the brain’s simulation of the world becomes so complete that it must include a model of itself. (Location 1381)

An evolutionarily stable strategy or ESS is defined as a strategy which, if most members of a population adopt it, cannot be bettered by an alternative strategy. (Location 1560)

The genetic technical term for this state is stable polymorphism. (Location 1638)

These two uses for the meat are mutually incompatible, therefore there is conflict of interest. (Location 1819)

The ants ‘milk’ the aphids by stroking their hind-quarters with their feelers and legs. Aphids respond to this, in some cases apparently holding back their droplets until an ant strokes them, and even withdrawing a droplet if an ant is not ready to accept it. It has been suggested that some aphids have evolved a backside that looks and feels like an ant’s face, the better to attract ants. (Location 3579)

Over evolutionary time it will cease to be a parasite, will cooperate with the host, and may eventually merge into the host’s tissues and become unrecognizable as a parasite at all. (Location 4652)

‘The rabbit runs faster than the fox, because the rabbit is running for his life while the fox is only running for his dinner.’ (Location 4777)

The three may be labelled, respectively, ‘back to the drawing board’, ‘orderly timing-cycle’, and ‘cellular uniformity’ (Location 5029)