Neo-Darwinism is generally used to describe any integration of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection with Gregor Mendel's theory of genetics. It mostly refers to evolutionary theory from either 1895 (for the combinations of Darwin's and August Weismann's theories of evolution) or 1942 ("modern synthesis"), but it can mean any new Darwinian- and Mendelian-based theory, such as the current evolutionary theory.
Friedrich Leopold August Weismann, considered the "founder of Neo-Darwinism" for expanding Darwin's theory along genetic linesGeorge John Romanes originally used Neo-Darwinism in 1895 to refer to an early modification of Darwin's theory. Photograph by Elliott & Fry (1896)
Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection, as published in 1859, provided a selection mechanism for evolution, but not a trait transfer mechanism. Lamarckism was still a very popular candidate for this. August Weismann and Alfred Russel Wallace rejected the Lamarckian idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics that Darwin had accepted and later expanded upon in his writings on heredity.[1]: 108 [2][3] The basis for the complete rejection of Lamarckism was Weismann's germ plasm theory. Weismann realised that the cells that produce the germ plasm, or gametes (such as sperm and eggs in animals), separate from the somatic cells that go on to make other body tissues at an early stage in development. Since he could see no obvious means of communication between the two, he asserted that the inheritance of acquired characteristics was therefore impossible; a conclusion now known as the Weismann barrier.[4]
It is, however, usually George Romanes who is credited with the first use of the word in a scientific context. Romanes used the term to describe the combination of natural selection and Weismann's germ plasm theory that evolution occurs solely through natural selection, and not by the inheritance of acquired characteristics resulting from use or disuse, thus using the word to mean "Darwinism without Lamarckism."[5][6][7]
Following the development, from about 1918 to 1947, of the modern synthesis of evolutionary biology, the term neo-Darwinian started to be used to refer to that contemporary evolutionary theory.[8][9]
Current meaningedit
Biologists, however, have not limited their application of the term neo-Darwinism to the historical synthesis. For example, Ernst Mayr wrote in 1984 that:
The term neo-Darwinism for the synthetic theory [of the early 20th century] is sometimes considered wrong, because the term neo-Darwinism was coined by Romanes in 1895 as a designation of Weismann's theory.[10][11][7][12]
Publications such as Encyclopædia Britannica use neo-Darwinism to refer to current-consensus evolutionary theory, not the version prevalent during the early 20th century.[13] Similarly, Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould have used neo-Darwinism in their writings and lectures to denote the forms of evolutionary biology that were contemporary when they were writing.[14][15]
^Darwin, Charles (1868). The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication (1st ed.). London, UK: John Murray.
^Kutschera, Ulrich (December 2003). "A comparative analysis of the Darwin-Wallace papers and the development of the concept of natural selection". Theory in Biosciences. 122 (4): 343–359. doi:10.1007/s12064-003-0063-6. ISSN 1431-7613. S2CID 24297627.
^Barbieri, Francisco D. (1989). "The origin of Metazoa and Weismann's germ line theory". Rivista di Biologia. 82 (1): 61–74. ISSN 0035-6050. PMID 2665023.
^Beccaloni, George (2013). "On the terms "Darwinism" and "Neo-Darwinism"". A. R. Wallace Website.
^ abReif, Wolf-Ernst [in German]; Junker, Thomas [in German]; Hoßfeld, Uwe [in German] (March 2000). "The synthetic theory of evolution: general problems and the German contribution to the synthesis" (PDF). Theory in Biosciences. 119 (1): 41–91. CiteSeerX10.1.1.329.7230. doi:10.1007/s12064-000-0004-6. ISSN 1431-7613. S2CID 4893208. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-10-09.
^Moran, Laurance (January 22, 1993). "The Modern Synthesis of Genetics and Evolution". TalkOrigins Archive. Houston, TX: The TalkOrigins Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 2007-09-19.
^Bock, Walter J. (July 1981). "Reviewed Work: The Evolutionary Synthesis. Perspectives on the Unification of Biology". The Auk. 98 (3): 644–646. ISSN 0004-8038. JSTOR 4086148.
^Mayr, Ernst (1984). "What is Darwinism Today?". PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association. 1984 (2): 145–156. doi:10.1086/psaprocbienmeetp.1984.2.192502. ISSN 0270-8647. JSTOR 192502. S2CID 147090072. Volume Two: Symposia and Invited Papers (1984).
^"Neo-Darwinism Lecture by Richard Dawkins" on YouTube. The video of the lecture was originally posted on May 5, 2010, at old.richarddawkins.net: . Archived from the original on December 1, 2014. Retrieved 2013-07-07.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link).
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Neo Darwinism is generally used to describe any integration of Charles Darwin s theory of evolution by natural selection with Gregor Mendel s theory of genetics It mostly refers to evolutionary theory from either 1895 for the combinations of Darwin s and August Weismann s theories of evolution or 1942 modern synthesis but it can mean any new Darwinian and Mendelian based theory such as the current evolutionary theory Friedrich Leopold August Weismann considered the founder of Neo Darwinism for expanding Darwin s theory along genetic lines George John Romanes originally used Neo Darwinism in 1895 to refer to an early modification of Darwin s theory Photograph by Elliott amp Fry 1896 Contents 1 Original use 2 Current meaning 3 See also 4 ReferencesOriginal use edit nbsp Several major ideas about evolution came together in the population genetics of the early 20th century to form the so called modern synthesis including genetic variation natural selection and particulate Mendelian inheritance This was at the time called neo Darwinism Darwin s theory of evolution by natural selection as published in 1859 provided a selection mechanism for evolution but not a trait transfer mechanism Lamarckism was still a very popular candidate for this August Weismann and Alfred Russel Wallace rejected the Lamarckian idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics that Darwin had accepted and later expanded upon in his writings on heredity 1 108 2 3 The basis for the complete rejection of Lamarckism was Weismann s germ plasm theory Weismann realised that the cells that produce the germ plasm or gametes such as sperm and eggs in animals separate from the somatic cells that go on to make other body tissues at an early stage in development Since he could see no obvious means of communication between the two he asserted that the inheritance of acquired characteristics was therefore impossible a conclusion now known as the Weismann barrier 4 It is however usually George Romanes who is credited with the first use of the word in a scientific context Romanes used the term to describe the combination of natural selection and Weismann s germ plasm theory that evolution occurs solely through natural selection and not by the inheritance of acquired characteristics resulting from use or disuse thus using the word to mean Darwinism without Lamarckism 5 6 7 Following the development from about 1918 to 1947 of the modern synthesis of evolutionary biology the term neo Darwinian started to be used to refer to that contemporary evolutionary theory 8 9 Current meaning editBiologists however have not limited their application of the term neo Darwinism to the historical synthesis For example Ernst Mayr wrote in 1984 that The term neo Darwinism for the synthetic theory of the early 20th century is sometimes considered wrong because the term neo Darwinism was coined by Romanes in 1895 as a designation of Weismann s theory 10 11 7 12 Publications such as Encyclopaedia Britannica use neo Darwinism to refer to current consensus evolutionary theory not the version prevalent during the early 20th century 13 Similarly Richard Dawkins and Stephen Jay Gould have used neo Darwinism in their writings and lectures to denote the forms of evolutionary biology that were contemporary when they were writing 14 15 See also editHistory of evolutionary thoughtReferences edit Darwin Charles 1872 The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life 6th ed London John Murray OCLC 1185571 Darwin Charles 1868 The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication 1st ed London UK John Murray Kutschera Ulrich December 2003 A comparative analysis of the Darwin Wallace papers and the development of the concept of natural selection Theory in Biosciences 122 4 343 359 doi 10 1007 s12064 003 0063 6 ISSN 1431 7613 S2CID 24297627 Barbieri Francisco D 1989 The origin of Metazoa and Weismann s germ line theory Rivista di Biologia 82 1 61 74 ISSN 0035 6050 PMID 2665023 Gould Stephen Jay 2002 The Structure of Evolutionary Theory Cambridge MA Belknap Press of Harvard University Press p 216 ISBN 978 0 674 00613 3 LCCN 2001043556 OCLC 47869352 Beccaloni George 2013 On the terms Darwinism and Neo Darwinism A R Wallace Website a b Reif Wolf Ernst in German Junker Thomas in German Hossfeld Uwe in German March 2000 The synthetic theory of evolution general problems and the German contribution to the synthesis PDF Theory in Biosciences 119 1 41 91 CiteSeerX 10 1 1 329 7230 doi 10 1007 s12064 000 0004 6 ISSN 1431 7613 S2CID 4893208 Archived PDF from the original on 2022 10 09 Moran Laurance January 22 1993 The Modern Synthesis of Genetics and Evolution TalkOrigins Archive Houston TX The TalkOrigins Foundation Inc Retrieved 2007 09 19 Bock Walter J July 1981 Reviewed Work The Evolutionary Synthesis Perspectives on the Unification of Biology The Auk 98 3 644 646 ISSN 0004 8038 JSTOR 4086148 Mayr Ernst 1984 What is Darwinism Today PSA Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1984 2 145 156 doi 10 1086 psaprocbienmeetp 1984 2 192502 ISSN 0270 8647 JSTOR 192502 S2CID 147090072 Volume Two Symposia and Invited Papers 1984 Kutschera Ulrich Niklas Karl J June 2004 The modern theory of biological evolution an expanded synthesis Naturwissenschaften 91 6 255 276 Bibcode 2004NW 91 255K doi 10 1007 s00114 004 0515 y PMID 15241603 S2CID 10731711 Pigliucci Massimo December 2007 Do We Need An Extended Evolutionary Synthesis Evolution 61 12 2743 2749 doi 10 1111 j 1558 5646 2007 00246 x PMID 17924956 S2CID 2703146 neo Darwinism Encyclopaedia Britannica Chicago IL Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc 2015 Retrieved 2015 11 19 Neo Darwinism Lecture by Richard Dawkins on YouTube The video of the lecture was originally posted on May 5 2010 at old richarddawkins net Lecture on Neo Darwinism Archived from the original on December 1 2014 Retrieved 2013 07 07 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Gould Stephen Jay 2011 Challenges to Neo Darwinism and Their Meaning for a Revised View of Human Consciousness In McMurrin Sterling M ed The Tanner Lectures on Human Values Vol 6 Salt Lake City UT Cambridge UK University of Utah Press Cambridge University Press pp 53 73 ISBN 978 0 521 17647 7 OCLC 846869183 Lecture delivered at Clare Hall Cambridge University April 30 and May 1 1984 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Neo Darwinism amp oldid 1223613706, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
