---
_id: '4246'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: Gaia theory, which describes the life–environment system of the Earth as stable
and self-regulating, has remained at the fringes of mainstream biological science
owing to its historically inadequate definition and apparent incompatibility with
individual-level natural selection. The key issue is whether and why the biosphere
might tend towards stability and self-regulation. We review the various ways in
which these issues have been addressed by evolutionary and ecological theory,
and relate these to ‘Gaia theory’. We then ask how this theory extends the perspectives
offered by these disciplines, and how it might be tested by novel modelling approaches
and laboratory experiments using emergent technologies.
author:
- first_name: Andrew
full_name: Free, Andrew
last_name: Free
- first_name: Nicholas H
full_name: Nicholas Barton
id: 4880FE40-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
last_name: Barton
orcid: 0000-0002-8548-5240
citation:
ama: Free A, Barton NH. Do evolution and ecology need the Gaia hypothesis? Trends
in Ecology and Evolution. 2007;22(11):611-619. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2007.07.007
apa: Free, A., & Barton, N. H. (2007). Do evolution and ecology need the Gaia
hypothesis? Trends in Ecology and Evolution. Cell Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2007.07.007
chicago: Free, Andrew, and Nicholas H Barton. “Do Evolution and Ecology Need the
Gaia Hypothesis?” Trends in Ecology and Evolution. Cell Press, 2007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2007.07.007.
ieee: A. Free and N. H. Barton, “Do evolution and ecology need the Gaia hypothesis?,”
Trends in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 22, no. 11. Cell Press, pp. 611–619,
2007.
ista: Free A, Barton NH. 2007. Do evolution and ecology need the Gaia hypothesis?
Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 22(11), 611–619.
mla: Free, Andrew, and Nicholas H. Barton. “Do Evolution and Ecology Need the Gaia
Hypothesis?” Trends in Ecology and Evolution, vol. 22, no. 11, Cell Press,
2007, pp. 611–19, doi:10.1016/j.tree.2007.07.007.
short: A. Free, N.H. Barton, Trends in Ecology and Evolution 22 (2007) 611–619.
date_created: 2018-12-11T12:07:49Z
date_published: 2007-11-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2021-01-12T07:55:35Z
day: '01'
doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2007.07.007
extern: 1
intvolume: ' 22'
issue: '11'
month: '11'
page: 611 - 619
publication: Trends in Ecology and Evolution
publication_status: published
publisher: Cell Press
publist_id: '1856'
quality_controlled: 0
status: public
title: Do evolution and ecology need the Gaia hypothesis?
type: journal_article
volume: 22
year: '2007'
...