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The Evolution of Adaptive Systems: The General Theory of Evolution
The Evolution of Adaptive Systems: The General Theory of Evolution Summary:By James Patrick Brock
The data of evolutionary biology have changed in a very radical way in recent years, the most significant input to this revolution being the advances made in developmental genetics. Another recent development is a noticeable shift away from extreme specialization in evolutionary biology. In this, we are perhaps to be reminded of George Gaylord Simpson's comments: "evolution is an incredibly complex but at the same time integrated and unitary process." The main objective of this book is to illustrate how natural adaptive systems evolve as a unity--with the particular objective of identifying and merging several special theories of evolution within the framework of a single general theory. CONTENTS FOREWORD ix PREFACE xi 1 Adaptation and the Adaptive System 1 2 Spatial Structure of the Adaptive Niche 27 3 Dynamics of the Adaptive Niche 43 4 The Selection Interface 53 5 Adaptive Equilibrium 67 6 The Cladogenetic Selection Interface 85 7 Adaptive Potential, Biophysical Paradigms, and the Selectional Attractor 121 8 Evolutionary Mode 145 9 Structural Paradigms of Development 161 10 Adaptive Capacity and Potential in the Mechanisms of Development 175 11 Developmental Genetics, Adaptive Capacity, and Potential 199 vii viii CONTENTS 12 Mutation and Realization of Adaptive Potential 231 13 Chromosome Structure and Adaptive Topography 275 14 Evolutionary Impediments and the Adaptive Substrate for Evolutionary Change 299 15 Darwinian versus Thompsonian Factors in Evolution 325 16 The Morphogenetic Topology of Evolutionary Change 351 17 Architecture of the Phyletic Lineage 401 18 Evolutionary Rate and Episodic Evolution 441 19 Stasis and the Adaptive Substrate 491 20 Extinction—Lineage to Clade 511 21 From Lineage to Taxon 531 EPILOGUE: AN OVERVIEW OF THE GENERAL THEORY 591 GLOSSARY 599 BIBLIOGRAPHY 619 INDEX 631 PREFACE The data of evolutionary biology have changed in a very radical way since the 1960s, the most significant input to this revolution perhaps having been the great advances made in developmental genetics. The dialetic of the ‘‘synthetic school’’ which preceded this explosion of information is now inadequate to serve as an analytical tool to assimilate these new data, and there thus exists a real need for provision of a firm basis for a fresh overview of contemporary knowledge in the context of the wider adaptive system. Another recent development is a noticeable shift away from the trend toward extreme specialization in evolutionary biology, and in this, we are perhaps to be reminded of the comments of George Gaylord Simpson: ‘‘Evolution is an incredibly complex but at the same time integrated and unitary process. Violence is done whenever we pick out one factor, process, or element of the pattern and attempt to consider this apart from the whole.’’ Indeed, evolution either is panmictic in biology or else is a loose set of unconnected populations with little or no gene migration between. This broader view should be the starting point from which any fresh analysis should proceed. The main objective of this book is to illustrate how natural adaptive systems evolve as a unity, with the particular objective of identifying and merging several ‘‘special theories’’ of evolution within the framework of a single general theory. The outlook thus follows an interdisciplinary ideal, looking at the ways in which diverse subject areas within biology interlink in their relationship to evolutionary theory with particular respect to large scale, longer term manifestations of the evolutionary process. The approach has been especially concerned with the dynamic behavior of biotic adaptive systems, with special reference xi xii PREFACE to the question of innate capacities and potentials residing in such systems—an understanding of which latter may be incorporated into conceptual structures relating the static aspect to the dynamic. The methodology has been to look firstly at the fundamental structure of the adaptive system itself, following this with a deeper analysis of niche and environment with respect to the manner in which organism and environment interact in the state of adaptive equilibrium. This leads naturally to the question of the means by which innate evolutionary potential in adaptive systems is actually realized—a process which must be located in a firm understanding of development and of the mechanisms of genetic control over developmental events. The way in which major patterns of structural differentiation arise and are sculptured by selection during the course of long-term evolution thus forms the central core of the ensuing argument. Finally, I have looked briefly at the criteria of phylogeny reconstruction in the light of constraints emerging from findings concerning the evolutionary process. The analytical approach throughout this study has concerned a search for minimum models within each area of investigation, rather than to follow each line of enquiry into specialized areas remote from the primary aims and objectives of the book. Each topic is thus given a broadly biosystematological treatment, and it will be fruitless to look for anything beyond that. In this, I have followed the maxim that ‘‘everything should be simplified as much as possible—but no more than desirable’’ (thus remaining wary of any assumption that the simplest explanation is necessarily the correct one!). So far as the raw data of evolutionary biology are concerned, I have not attempted to give a comprehensive coverage of observational data other than via the medium of brief cross-references to other sources. Attention must be drawn to the fact that it has been found necessary to introduce a certain amount of new terminology in this study. Too large a proportion of the existing dialectic is confused, with the same term at times being used to denote wholly different phenomena, or several terms encompassing merely a single mechanism. There has thus frequently been a difficult choice to make between creation of new or revision of existing terminology. Wherever I have chosen the latter option, I have striven to indicate precisely where and why a revised usage of a term is used, and introduction of entirely new nomenclature has generally been the chosen option only with new or radically re-formed concepts. Owing to the fact that first attempts at redefinition of a term frequently resulted in the discovery that other terms used axiomatically in new definitions were themselves heterogeneous, redefinition of terms has been designed to meet the criterion of interdisciplinary homogeneity, rather than to necessarily agree with any supposedly accepted or contemporary usage. So far as the reader is concerned, this means careful attention must be paid to the precise meaning of the nomenclature, for a clear understanding of the train of argument followed in this book. Resolving the semantic question is, of course, only a secondary goal to the refinement and revision of earlier theoretical structures. In this endeavor, introduction of new concepts should, it is hoped, seek to avoid extreme polarization in the reassessment of earlier ideas, thus (wherever appropriate) following the viewpoint of G. L. Stebbins that ‘‘new facts require modification and PREFACE xiii amplification of accepted principles, rather than their rejection.’’ Nevertheless, the adaptive systems approach does in fact also lead to radically new conceptual structures, the relationships of which to some earlier models that are quite widely held to constitute mere observational data in disguise, must of course be rendered fully explicit. As a general rule, I have striven to distinguish between hypothesis and theory throughout, seeking an holistic view, rather than a standpoint biased toward any particular school of thought. Many apparent divergencies of opinion in evolutionary biology really reflect an intrinsic pluralism in the manner in which biotic adaptive systems exist and evolve in Nature. This pluralism lies not only in the deep dichotomy between unicells and higher organisms (which latter form the subject matter of the present work), but also between different lineages of multicellular organisms. Despite this problem, there must of course be many fundamental axioms which do apply more or less universally to the evolution of multicellular organisms, and discovering what these axioms are obviously constitutes a major objective in any work of this kind. Of even greater priority in the question of pluralism is the problem of ‘‘generality’’ itself. There are, indeed, several ‘‘special’’ theories of evolution. Quite apart from the question as to how these structures integrate in the context of a general theory, it is not at all clear what these components actually are. Even the widely held assumption that any general theory must constitute a further expansion of ‘‘neo-Darwinism’’ must be challenged most assidiously (and, indeed, the solution proposed in the present work plainly does not in fact fall into that category). Last, it is necessary to add the customary coda that all works of this size are inevitably shortcuts to what should have been a more extensive treatment, and all carry the same apology, namely, that omissions are at least in part due to the impossibility of encompassing everything in the time available. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Various institutions have provided facilities connected in one way or another with the groundwork which went into this study, most notably (and in chronological order), the Universities of Glasgow, Oxford, Liverpool, and London (Imperial College). Most significantly, the Director and Trustees of the Horniman Museum played a lead role in provision of facilities for completion of the book. This help, along with that provided by the Horniman Library, Leaford Patrick (Deputy Keeper of Natural History at the Horniman Museum), and the libraries of The Linnean Society and Imperial College, is gratefully acknowledged. My wife Diane and daughter Melanie endured a great many privations during the writing period, and a special thank you goes to them. James P. Brock Please select one mirror to download
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NEWER EBOOKSOLDER EBOOKSSponsored LinksThe Evolution of Adaptive Systems: The General Theory of Evolution Keywordstheory systems data structures developmental development potential objective approach genetics preface structure terms organisms concerned overview interdisciplinary theories evolutionary biology adaptive systems developmental genetics adaptive niche chromosome structure systems evolve adaptive substrate interface adaptive adaptive potential incredibly complex selection interface adaptive george gaylord simpsonThe Evolution of Adaptive Systems: The General Theory of Evolution download copyrightThis site does not store The Evolution of Adaptive Systems: The General Theory of Evolution on its server. We only index and link to The Evolution of Adaptive Systems: The General Theory of Evolution provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete The Evolution of Adaptive Systems: The General Theory of Evolution if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately. |
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