Gaia hypothesis
the hypothesis that the earth, its living things, and its physical environments constitute a single self-regulating entity. In contrast to Darwinian theories of evolution, which hold that living things adapt themselves to the extant environment, the hypothesis suggests that the earth has adapted to, and been transformed by, the living things that are a part of it. This perspective has been influential in modern ecological movements but is rejected by mainstream scientists. The hypothesis is named for Gaia, the Earth, a primordial Greek goddess who emerged from Chaos. [formulated and named by British scientist James E. Lovelock (1919– )]