evolutionary theory: the view from altenberg by Massimo Pigliucci
evolutionary theory:
the view from altenberg
by Massimo Pigliucci
Evolutionary Theory 1.0: Darwinism
Common descent Natural selection
Missing a theory of heredity(after having flirted with Lamarckism
and blending inheritance)
Evolutionary Theory 1.1: neo-Darwinism
Wallace Weissman
Rejection of Lamarckism Separation of soma and germ
Still missing a theory of heredity...
Evolutionary Theory 2.0: the beginning of the Modern Synthesis
Fisher Haldane Wright
Compatibility between Mendelism and statistical genetics
Theories of selection and random drift: birth of population genetics
Evolutionary Theory 2.1: the mature Modern Synthesis
Dobzhansky Mayr Simpson Stebbins
Variation in natural populations Species concepts, speciation processes Compatibility of gradualism with paleontology Applicability of Darwinism to variety of mating
and genetic systems in plants
Huxley
“The major tenets of the evolutionary synthesis were that populations contain genetic variation that arises by random mutation and
recombination; that populations evolve by changes in gene frequency brought about by random genetic drift, gene flow, and especially natural
selection; that most adaptive genetic variants have individually slight phenotypic effects so that phenotypic changes are gradual; that
diversification comes about by speciation, which normally entails the gradual evolution of reproductive isolation among populations; and that
these processes, continued for sufficiently long, give rise to changes of such great magnitude as to warrant the designation of higher taxonomic levels.”
Doug Futuyma
Do we need Evolutionary Theory 3.0? Toward an Extended Synthesis
“[the Modern Synthesis] is strictly a theory of genes, yet the phenomenon that has to be explained in evolution is that of the transmutation of form.”
(Karl Popper)
How do we factor in development? Is evolution always gradual? Is selection the only organizing principle? What are the targets of selection? Is there a discontinuity between micro- and
macro-evolution? Is the question of inheritance settled? Where do evolutionary novelties come from? Oh, and what about ecology?
The view from Altenberg:taking evo-bio seriously as a historical science,
the role of contingency
John Beatty
The view from Altenberg:multi-level selection theory
is here to stay
!z = cov (W, Z) + E cov (w, z)
(Price 1972)
collectivelevel
particlelevel
David S. Wilson
The view from Altenberg:epigenetic and other inheritances
Genetic Epigenetic (methylation, iRNA,
histone conformation) Behavioral (mimicking) Cultural (traditions, “memes”)
Eva Jablonka
Eors Szathmary
The view from Altenberg: innovation, facilitated variation and the role of physico-chemistry
Gerd Muller Stuart NewmanMarc Kirschner
Is this a paradigm shift?
Thomas Kuhn
Agency: Where natural selection acts (so-called “units of selection problem”).
Efficacy: The relative power of natural selection in comparison to other evolutionary mechanisms.
Scope: The degree to which natural selection can be extrapolated to macroevolutionary processes.
An (extended) synthesis of what?
commondescent
naturalselection
Mendelism
population-statisticalgenetics
paleontology
naturalhistory
paleontology
evo-devogenomics,
networks theory
epigeneticinheritance
multilevelselection theory
evolvability &modularity
plasticity &accommodation
contingency
complexitytheory
nicheconstruction
ecology
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