BIOSEMIOTICS
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 301 ▶ |
| Object type | Discipline oriented, General information, Epistemology, ontology or semantics |
The study of the origins of meanings as a problem of biology (K. Kull, 2000, p. 91)
- “A new field which concerns itself with signs in biological systems, ranging from communication among animals to the individual cells' genetic code as a sign system of its own” (Cl. EMMECHE, 1994, p.126)
The field is also known as Semiotic Biology
The beginnings of Biosemiotics can be traced back to J.von UEXKULL (1928, 1934)
However, the subject lay dormant for many years. It is now reviving, specially with G. WITZANY in Austria (2000), M. BARBIERI, University of Ferrara, Italy, K. KULL, University of Tartu, Estonia and the “Cybernetics and Human knowing group” of S. BRIER, in Denmark.
The following statement by WITZANY, quoted by Kull (2000, p. 92) seems to clarly define the central idea of Biosemiotics: “…living nature is structured and organized in a language -like and communicative manner, i.e. that all organisms , including humans, are members of a global community of communication … Evolutionary history could then be understood as a developmental history of interaction semioses”
See also
Biosphere, Colony, Ecosphere, Ecosystem, Ecosystems dynamics, Ecosystemic relation, Evolution(Co), \entity{GAIA} hypothesis, Information transmission, Stigmergy, Swarm, World Engine