Size and complexity among multicellular organisms
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| Authors: | Bell, G; Mooers, AO |
| Year: | 1997 |
| Journal: | Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 60: 345-363 PDF |
| Title: | Size and complexity among multicellular organisms |
| Abstract: | The diversity of specialized cell types ('complexity') is estimated for a wide range of multicellular organisms. Complexity increases with size, independently of phylogeny. This is interpreted in economic terms as the consequence of a greater degree of cooperative division of labour within larger entities. The late of increase of complexity with size is less in the case of a cooperative division of labour (cell types within bodies) than in the analogous case of a competitive division of labour (species within communities). This is atttributed to the inutility of single specialized cells whose goods must be shared among all the many cells of a large organism. Major groups of organisms differ in complexity at given size: animals are more complex than plants, and phaeophytes are simpler than either. (C) 1997 The Linnean Society of London. |
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