Books by Maynard Smith

In this volume, John Maynard Smith and Eors Szathmary propose that during evolution, there have been a number of major transitions in the way in which information is passed between generations. These include the appearance of the first replicating molecules, the emergence of co-operative animal societies, and the unique language ability of humans.

Why are most animal signals reliable? This is the central problem for evolutionary biologists interested in signals. This work entangles the complex and often confusing terminology that characterises the subject, and then challenges the widely held assumption that there is only one correct explanation for signal reliability.