The Structure Of Evolutionary Theory
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''The Structure of Evolutionary Theory'' (2002) is
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...
paleontologist Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geolo ...
Stephen Jay Gould Stephen Jay Gould ( ; September 10, 1941 – May 20, 2002) was an American Paleontology, paleontologist, Evolutionary biology, evolutionary biologist, and History of science, historian of science. He was one of the most influential and widely re ...
's technical book on
macroevolution Macroevolution comprises the evolutionary processes and patterns which occur at and above the species level. In contrast, microevolution is evolution occurring within the population(s) of a single species. In other words, microevolution is the ...
and the historical development of evolutionary theory. The book was twenty years in the making, published just two months before Gould's death. Aimed primarily at professionals, the volume is divided into two parts. The first is a historical study of classical evolutionary thought, drawing extensively upon primary documents; the second is a constructive critique of the modern synthesis, and presents a case for an interpretation of biological
evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...
based largely on hierarchical selection, and the theory of
punctuated equilibrium In evolutionary biology, punctuated equilibrium (also called punctuated equilibria) is a Scientific theory, theory that proposes that once a species appears in the fossil record, the population will become stable, showing little evolution, evol ...
(developed by Niles Eldredge and Gould in 1972).


Summary

According to Gould, classical
Darwinism ''Darwinism'' is a term used to describe a theory of biological evolution developed by the English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) and others. The theory states that all species of organisms arise and develop through the natural sel ...
encompasses three essential core commitments: ''Agency'', the unit of selection (which for
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
was the organism) upon which
natural selection Natural selection is the differential survival and reproduction of individuals due to differences in phenotype. It is a key mechanism of evolution, the change in the Heredity, heritable traits characteristic of a population over generation ...
acts; ''efficacy'', which encompasses the dominance of natural selection over all other forces—such as
genetic drift Genetic drift, also known as random genetic drift, allelic drift or the Wright effect, is the change in the Allele frequency, frequency of an existing gene variant (allele) in a population due to random chance. Genetic drift may cause gene va ...
, and biological constraints—in shaping the historical,
ecological Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...
, and structural influences on evolution; and ''scope'', the degree to which natural selection can be extrapolated to explain
biodiversity Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
at the macroevolutionary level, including the evolution of higher taxonomic groups. Gould described these three propositions as the "tripod" of Darwinian central logic, each being so essential to the structure that if any branch were cut it would either kill, revise, or superficially refurbish the whole structure—depending on the severity of the cut. According to Gould "substantial changes, introduced during the last half of the 20th century, have built a structure so expanded beyond the original Darwinian core, and so enlarged by new principles of macroevolutionary explanation, that the full exposition, while remaining within the domain of Darwinian
logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the study of deductively valid inferences or logical truths. It examines how conclusions follow from premises based on the structure o ...
, must be construed as basically different from the canonical theory of natural selection, rather than simply extended." In the arena of ''agency'', Gould explores the concept of "hierarchy" in the action of evolution (the idea that evolution may act on more than one unit simultaneously, as opposed to only acting upon individual organisms). In the arena of ''efficacy'' he explores the forces beside natural selection that have been considered in evolutionary theory. In the arena of ''scope'' he considers the relevance of natural selection to the larger scale patterns of life. Gould was motivated to write the book by contrasting the opinions of Darwin and
Hugh Falconer Hugh Falconer MD FRS (29 February 1808 – 31 January 1865) was a Scottish geologist, botanist, palaeontologist, and paleoanthropologist. He studied the flora, fauna, and geology of India, Assam, Burma, and most of the Mediterranean island ...
about the future of Darwinism. Hull, David L. (2002
A career in the glare of public acclaim
''Bioscience'' 52 (September): 837-841.
Part I of the book focuses on the early
history of evolutionary thought Evolutionary thought, the recognition that species change over time and the perceived understanding of how such processes work, has roots in antiquity. With the beginnings of modern Taxonomy (biology), biological taxonomy in the late 17th cent ...
(pre-1859). Chapter one introduces and outlines the ''Structure of Evolutionary Theory'', with chapter two covering the structure of ''
The Origin of Species ''On the Origin of Species'' (or, more completely, ''On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life'')The book's full original title was ''On the Origin of Species by M ...
'', chapter three focusing on issues surrounding ''agency'', chapters four and five covering ''efficacy'', and chapters six and seven covering ''scope''. Part II—comprising the bulk of the text—focuses on the modern discussion and debate (post-1959). Chapters eight and nine cover ''agency'', while chapters ten and eleven cover ''efficacy'', and twelve covers ''scope''. Sections of the book dealing with
punctuated equilibrium In evolutionary biology, punctuated equilibrium (also called punctuated equilibria) is a Scientific theory, theory that proposes that once a species appears in the fossil record, the population will become stable, showing little evolution, evol ...
, primarily chapter nine, have been posthumously reprinted as a separate volume by Belknap Harvard.


References


External links


Harvard's promotional page''Charlie Rose'', March 1, 1994
- Gould discusses the purpose of the book
''Of Beauty and Consolation''
- Gould on writing ''Structure'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Structure Of Evolutionary Theory, The 2002 non-fiction books American non-fiction books Belknap Press books Books about evolution Books by Stephen Jay Gould English-language non-fiction books