COMPLEXITY: The Evolution of Earth’s Biodiversity and the Future of Humanity.Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2016. Copyright ©2016 by William C. Burger. All rights reserved. Authorized translation from the English-language edition published by Prometheus Books, an imprint of the Rowman ＆ Littlefield Publishing Group. Trademarked names appear throughout this book. United Sky (Beijing) New Media Co., Ltd., recognizes all registered trademarks, trademarks, and service marks mentioned in the text. Simplified Chinese Translation © 2021 United Sky (Beijing) New Media Co.,Ltd. 序章　当讨论生物多样性时，我们首先要谈些什么 地球拥有丰富的生物多样性，诸如成群结队的昆虫、种类繁多的鸟类、遍地盛开的花朵……都是这种多样性比较明显的外在表现。更值得注意的是，随着地质时代的变迁，植物和动物的种类似乎也越来越多样，形态也越来越复杂。现今，人类已经发展出了多种文明和上千种语言，可我们仍在不断利用高速发展的技术手段让世界变得更加复杂。其实，人类成功的基础正是自然世界的多样性。本书最后一章会来讨论人类对地球多样性的贡献，在此之前…