Broadening Neo-Darwinism The Evolutionary Process: A Critical Review of Evolutionary Theory Verne Grant

BioScience ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-120
Author(s):  
Samuel B. McDowell
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Critical Review ◽  
Evolutionary Process

New Developments in Evolutionary Innovation

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Gino Cattani ◽  
Mariano Mastrogiorgio
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Economic Change ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Punctuated Equilibrium ◽  
Darwinian Evolution ◽  
New Developments ◽  
Evolutionary Innovation ◽  
Equilibrium Speciation

The publication of ‘An Evolutionary Theory of Economic Change’ by Nelson and Winter has had a major impact on economics and related fields such as innovation and strategy. All of these fields have developed owing to recent re-examinations and extensions of evolutionary theory. A paradigm that underlies several studies in this tradition is the concept of neo-Darwinian evolution—the idea that the unit of the evolutionary process (e.g. a technological artefact) is subject to a dynamic of variation, selection, and retention leading to adaptation to a predefined function. This book refers to the frameworks of punctuated equilibrium, speciation, and exaptation, which, despite their significant influence in evolutionary biology, have been reflected only partially in evolutionary approaches to economics, innovation, and strategy. This chapter introduces the book’s aim to fill this gap, and outlines the approaches and perspectives of each of the chapters.

A Research for Evolutionary Process Based on TRIZ Evolution Theory

2010 ◽  
Vol 20-23 ◽  
pp. 1328-1335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shao Bo Li ◽  
Jian Hui Mou
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Market Competition ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Process Approach ◽  
Evolution Theory ◽  
Prediction Theory ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
Product Technology

Technology Evolutionary Process have own rule and model,it can be forcasted. How to predict the future technological development and quickly develop next-generation products has become a powerful weapon of market competition. TRIZ EvolutionTheory is one of the most advantages and vitality in almost product technology prediction theory. This article summarized the evolution mode and evolution route based on in-depth study of TRIZ evolution theory ,and researched correlation.At last this article introduced how to use the basic principles of evolutionary theory to solve practical problems of the process approach. And to farming with the plow as an example a typical product design, to have been verified.

Epistasis and Evolution

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Adaptive Landscape ◽  
Genomic Complexity ◽  
Evolutionary Thought ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Evolutionary Consequences ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
The Relationship

The concept of epistasis was introduced into evolutionary theory more than a hundred years ago. Its history is marked by controversies regarding its importance for the evolutionary process, as exemplified by the debate between Ronald Fisher and Sewall Wright in the wake of the modern synthesis. In this case the disagreement was about the shape of the adaptive landscape, which is determined by epistasis. Wright believed that epistasis causes the adaptive landscape to be rugged with many local peaks, whereas Fisher viewed evolution as a smooth, steady progression toward a unique optimum. Even today, the different meanings attributed to epistasis continue to spawn confusion. Nevertheless, a consensus is emerging, according to which the term should be used to designate interactions between genetic effects on phenotypes in the broadest sense. Stated differently, in the presence of epistasis the phenotypic effects of a gene depend on its genetic context. In evolutionary theory the phenotype of primary interest is organismal fitness, but principally the concept applies to any genotype-phenotype map. Reflecting the Fisherian view, throughout the 20th century epistasis was often considered to be a residual perturbation on the main effects of individual genes. Following the advent of sequencing techniques providing insights into the molecular basis of genotype-phenotype maps, over the past two decades it has become clear, however, that epistasis is the rule rather than an exception. This has motivated a large number of empirical studies exploring the patterns and evolutionary consequences of epistasis across a wide range of scales of organismal and genomic complexity. Correspondingly, mathematical and computational tools have been developed for the analysis of experimental data, and models have been constructed to elucidate the mechanistic and statistical origins of genetic interactions. Despite a certain inherent vagueness, the concept takes center stage in modern evolutionary thought as a framework for organizing the accumulating understanding of the relationship among genotype, phenotype, and organism.

Evolution by Blind Chance

1986 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-360
Author(s):  
Barrie Britton
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Charles Darwin ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Biblical Text ◽  
World Views ◽  
Literal Interpretation ◽  
Origin Of Species ◽  
The Bible ◽  
The Universe

Ever since Charles Darwin first published his revolutionary book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, there has been considerable disagreement among Christians concerning both the truth of evolutionary theory and its possible reconciliation with the Bible. Some Christians have taken the so-called ‘fundamentalist creationist’ position believing in a literal interpretation of the first few chapters of Genesis. Others have adopted so-called ‘theistic evolutionist’ views accepting to various different degrees Darwinian ideas about origins. One point however on which most Christians (and indeed non-Christians) are agreed, is that an evolutionary process based on blind chance must necessarily conflict with all possible theistic world views and stands irreconcilable with the biblical text. It is this assertion which in this essay I hope to refute, as based on misunderstanding of the meaning of blind chance, of the mechanism of evolution and of the involvement of God in the universe.

scholarly journals Non-genetic inheritance in evolutionary theory - the importance of plant studies

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Robertson ◽  
Christina Richards
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Causal Role ◽  
Epigenetic Variation ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Epigenetic Machinery ◽  
Evolutionary Studies ◽  
Modern Evolutionary Theory

AbstractEmerging evidence points to a causal role for epigenetic variation in evolution, but evolutionary biologists have been reluctant to incorporate epigenetics into modern evolutionary theory. Part of this ambivalence comes from the assumption that epigenetic inheritance is only relevant to the evolution of plants, which is perpetuated by a comparative lack of evolutionary studies in animals. However, although most of the evidence for epigenetic inheritance comes from plants, plants and animals share many homologous epigenetic mechanisms, and plants provide a more tractable system for investigating the causal role of epigenetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic variation and its relationship with fitness. The insights from studies of epigenetic inheritance in plants may be applicable across a broad range of taxa once we establish commonalities and differences in epigenetic machinery. In this paper we present evidence for a role of epigenetic mechanisms in the evolutionary process and discuss common objections to incorporating epigenetics into evolutionary theory. This review is not exhaustive, but is meant to demonstrate that epigenetic inheritance can be incorporated into current evolutionary theory without overhauling its foundations.

scholarly journals Complexity and Evolution

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Complex Adaptive Systems ◽  
Adaptive Systems ◽  
Path Dependence ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Basins Of Attraction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Complex Adaptive

Two widely heralded yet contested approaches to economics have emerged in recent years. One follows an older, rather neglected approach which emphasizes evolutionary theory in terms of individuals and institutions. The other emphasizes economies as complex adaptive systems. Important concepts from evolutionary theory include the distinction between proximate and ultimate causation, multilevel selection, cultural change as an evolutionary process, and human psychology as a product of gene–culture coevolution. Relevant concepts from complexity theory include self-organization, fractals, chaos, sensitive dependence, basins of attraction, and path dependence. This book explores these two bodies of theory and their potential impact on economics. Central themes include the challenges that emerge through integration, evolutionary behavioral economics, and the evolution of institutions. Practical applications are provided and avenues for future research highlighted.

scholarly journals On reciprocal causation in the evolutionary process

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik I. Svensson
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Evolutionary Process ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Ernst Mayr ◽  
Extended Evolutionary Synthesis ◽  
Reciprocal Causation ◽  
Constructive Development ◽  
Richard Levins ◽  
Dynamic Feedbacks

AbstractRecent calls for a revision of standard evolutionary theory (SET) are based in part on arguments about the reciprocal causation. Reciprocal causation means that cause-effect relationships are obscured, as a cause could later become an effect andvice versa. Such dynamic cause-effect relationships raise questions about the distinction between proximate and ultimate causes, as originally formulated by Ernst Mayr. They have also motivated some biologists and philosophers to argue for an Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES). The EES will supposedly expand the scope of the Modern Synthesis (MS) and Standard Evolutionary Theory (SET), which has been characterized as gene-centred, relying primarily on natural selection and largely neglecting reciprocal causation. I critically examine these claims, with a special focus on the last conjecture and conclude – on the contrary– that reciprocal causation has long been recognized as important both in SET and in the MS tradition, although it remains underexplored. Numerous empirical examples of reciprocal causation in the form of positive and negative feedbacks are now well known from both natural and laboratory systems. Reciprocal causation have also been explicitly incorporated in mathematical models of coevolutionary arms races, frequency-dependent selection, eco-evolutionary dynamics and sexual selection. Such dynamic feedbacks were already recognized by Richard Levins and Richard Lewontin, well before the recent call for an EES. Reciprocal causation and dynamic feedbacks is one of the few contributions of dialectical thinking and Marxist philosophy in evolutionary theory, and should be recognized as such. I discuss some promising empirical and analytical tools to study reciprocal causation and the implications for the EES. While reciprocal causation have helped us to understand many evolutionary processes, I caution against uncritical extension of dialectics towards heredity and constructive development, particularly if such extensions involves attempts to restore Lamarckian or “soft inheritance”.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document