DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, NATURAL SELECTION, AND THE CONCEPTUAL BOUNDARIES OF THE MODERN EVOLUTIONARY SYNTHESIS

Zygon® ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. 468-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Depew ◽  
Bruce H. Weber
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Biology ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Evolutionary Synthesis ◽  
Modern Evolutionary Synthesis

Natural Selection, Adaptation, and the Recovery of Development

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Depew
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Modern Synthesis ◽  
Evolutionary Synthesis ◽  
Multiple Generations ◽  
Modern Evolutionary Synthesis

This chapter begins by contrasting Spencer’s view of natural selection with Darwin’s understanding of its “paramount power.” Darwin’s interpretation contains seeds of a defining mark of the modern evolutionary synthesis: Adaptation is necessarily a consequence of natural selection working as a “creative” factor over multiple generations. The chapter distinguishes between several versions of the modern synthesis in order to argue that some are less at odds than others with the current turn toward development and in order to suggest that allowing ontogeny to be the generative locus of (much) selectable variation makes for more continuity between the developmentalist turn and the modern synthesis than is sometimes thought. Shifting “adaptation” from trans-generational populations to ontogenetically construed organisms is in tension with the modern evolutionary synthesis, but not as much as some believe.

Introduction: Challenging the Modern Synthesis

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis M. Walsh ◽  
Philippe Huneman
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Cell Biology ◽  
Population Change ◽  
Modern Synthesis ◽  
Evolutionary Synthesis ◽  
Comparative Biology ◽  
Darwinian Theory ◽  
Modern Evolutionary Synthesis

The modern evolutionary synthesis arose out of the conjunction of the Mendelian theory of inheritance and the neo-Darwinian theory of population change early in the 20th century.1 In the nearly 100 years since its inception, the modern evolutionary synthesis has grown to encompass practically all fields of comparative biology—ecology, ethology, paleontology, systematics, cell biology, physiology, genetics, development. Theodosius Dobzhansky’s dictum—“nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution” (...

Ewolucja. Twórcza moc selekcji

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerzy Dzik
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Biology ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Political Institutions ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Evolutionary Developmental Biology ◽  
Homeotic Genes ◽  
Time Dimension ◽  
Geological Time ◽  
Theory Of Evolution

An instructive introduction to the theory of evolution and its applications in biology, physics, chemistry, geology and humanities. The author shows that evolution is a physical process, occurring in geological time dimension, describes how the Darwin’s theory of natural selection works in immunology, neurobiology, sociology as well as in certain aspects of culture and political institutions. He also shows the effects achieved through the action of selection in different areas of biological and social life. He discusses such problems as: the ambiguity of the term “theory of evolution”, the falsifiability of evolutionary hypotheses, connection between evolution and thermodynamics, the concept of reductionism, methodological background of phylogenetics, cladistics, evolutionary developmental biology and homeotic genes, as well as the cumulative nature of social and cultural evolution.

scholarly journals Evolutionary biology today and the call for an extended synthesis

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 20160145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas J. Futuyma
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Evolutionary Theory ◽  
Evolutionary Biology ◽  
Epigenetic Inheritance ◽  
Reaction Norm ◽  
Evolutionary Synthesis ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Extended Evolutionary Synthesis ◽  
Extended Synthesis ◽  
Proximate Causation

Evolutionary theory has been extended almost continually since the evolutionary synthesis (ES), but except for the much greater importance afforded genetic drift, the principal tenets of the ES have been strongly supported. Adaptations are attributable to the sorting of genetic variation by natural selection, which remains the only known cause of increase in fitness. Mutations are not adaptively directed, but as principal authors of the ES recognized, the material (structural) bases of biochemistry and development affect the variety of phenotypic variations that arise by mutation and recombination. Against this historical background, I analyse major propositions in the movement for an ‘extended evolutionary synthesis’. ‘Niche construction' is a new label for a wide variety of well-known phenomena, many of which have been extensively studied, but (as with every topic in evolutionary biology) some aspects may have been understudied. There is no reason to consider it a neglected ‘process’ of evolution. The proposition that phenotypic plasticity may engender new adaptive phenotypes that are later genetically assimilated or accommodated is theoretically plausible; it may be most likely when the new phenotype is not truly novel, but is instead a slight extension of a reaction norm already shaped by natural selection in similar environments. However, evolution in new environments often compensates for maladaptive plastic phenotypic responses. The union of population genetic theory with mechanistic understanding of developmental processes enables more complete understanding by joining ultimate and proximate causation; but the latter does not replace or invalidate the former. Newly discovered molecular phenomena have been easily accommodated in the past by elaborating orthodox evolutionary theory, and it appears that the same holds today for phenomena such as epigenetic inheritance. In several of these areas, empirical evidence is needed to evaluate enthusiastic speculation. Evolutionary theory will continue to be extended, but there is no sign that it requires emendation.

scholarly journals Por que o desenvolvimento ontogenético foi tratado como uma “caixa preta” na síntese moderna da evolução?

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 263
Author(s):  
Leonardo Augusto Luvison Araújo ◽  
Aldo Mellender De Araújo
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Black Box ◽  
Evolutionary Synthesis ◽  
Ontogenetic Development ◽  
Research Strategies ◽  
Genetic Inheritance ◽  
Genetics Research ◽  
Inheritance Model ◽  
Modern Evolutionary Synthesis

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/1808-1711.2015v19n2p263The Modern Evolutionary Synthesis relegated the ontogenetic development to a “black box”. In this article, we argue that the absence of ontogenetic development in the Evolutionary Synthesis was due its strong foundation in transmission genetics. We discuss three research strategies of transmission genetics that created an incompatibility with the ontogenetic development: (i) particulate inheritance model; (ii) population as locus for genetics research; (iii) and experimental tools that have been applied to remove “non-heritable fluctuations” from ontogenetic and environmental effects. These practices have contributed to the strength of the genetic inheritance, but also excluded the ontogenetic development from the explanation of heredity and evolution. This distinction has been perpetuated in the Evolutionary Synthesis.

Applications of Supercomputers in Population Genetics

2015 ◽  
pp. 176-200
Author(s):  
Gerard G. Dumancas
Keyword(s):  
Population Genetics ◽  
Natural Selection ◽  
Genetic Drift ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Allele Frequency Distribution ◽  
Modern Approach ◽  
Mathematical Discipline ◽  
Modern Evolutionary Synthesis ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
Over Time

Population genetics is the study of the frequency and interaction of alleles and genes in population and how this allele frequency distribution changes over time as a result of evolutionary processes such as natural selection, genetic drift, and mutation. This field has become essential in the foundation of modern evolutionary synthesis. Traditionally regarded as a highly mathematical discipline, its modern approach comprises more than the theoretical, lab, and fieldwork. Supercomputers play a critical role in the success of this field and are discussed in this chapter.

Commemorating the 20th century Darwin: Ernst Mayr’s words and thoughts, five years later

Genome ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-159
Author(s):  
Rob J. Kulathinal
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Evolutionary Synthesis ◽  
Ernst Mayr ◽  
Species Problem ◽  
Darwinian Theory ◽  
Seminal Work ◽  
Modern Evolutionary Synthesis

It has been five years since Ernst Mayr, one of the most influential evolutionary biologists of the last century, passed away. Mayr’s seminal work as a naturalist and, in particular, as a bird systematist allowed him to approach the species problem in a revolutionary way. As a leading architect of the Modern Evolutionary Synthesis, Mayr helped integrate Darwinian theory with the broad fields of systematics and genetics. We pay tribute to this legend by publishing an interview taken shortly before his death.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document