DOCSLIB.ORG

A Duet on Speciation a Synthesis of Ideas About How Species Arise Hits the Right Note

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Duet on Speciation a Synthesis of Ideas About How Species Arise Hits the Right Note books and arts A duet on speciation A synthesis of ideas about how species arise hits the right note. Speciation species are? Having grown by Jerry A. Coyne & H. Allen Orr impatient over what they Sinauer: 2004. 545 pp. $89.95 (hbk); $54.95, feel are pointless philo- £35.99 (pbk) sophical or (worse) seman- Axel Meyer tic debates over the species BETTMANN/CORBIS problem, Coyne and Orr Identifying and understanding the processes advocate the collection of that lead to the origin of species is one more data on speciation of the fundamental problems of evolution. and fewer debates on what Solving it requires not only field studies, species are. They conclude comparative analyses and lab work, but also that it doesn’t really matter a scholarly knowledge of previous work. to which particular species Speciation,a joyous duet by two of the concept one subscribes. field’s leading soloists, Jerry Coyne and I have painted a picture Allen Orr, should help. This treasure trove that is bleaker than it really of knowledge, which provides ample food is. Most biologists since for thought, succinctly outlines hypotheses Darwin have believed that and proposes research programmes to species are real. The biolo- test them. gical species concept (BSC) The literature on speciation spans more proposed by Mayr and than a century and a half, and includes con- Theodosius Dobzhansky is tributions from experimenters, innovative the most prominent and thinkers and theoreticians. A vast jungle of widely accepted one. It empirical data has accumulated, but every defines species as “groups single tree must still be inspected carefully of actually or potentially to develop a comprehensive picture of the interbreeding natural pop- entire forest. The empirical evidence must ulations, which are repro- then be analysed rigorously to see how it ductively isolated from fits with alternative models, to distinguish Going separate ways: divergence and speciation in the herring family. other such groups”. Thus, between competing hypotheses. Coyne and new species arise when Orr have succeeded in this task. speciation? Darwin largely ignored this issue reproductive isolation separates formerly But why, almost 150 years after the publi- as well and,at least in On the Origin of Species, interbreeding populations. cation of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, seemed to treat species as if they are not Like most researchers,Coyne and Orr feel is there still so much left to say and do? Sur- even real in the philosophical sense. To that the study of speciation is helped,or even prisingly, Darwin did not directly address him, species were convenient constructs — only becomes possible, by accepting the the question of the origin of species in his groupings of sets of individuals that resem- BSC and focusing on the study of reproduc- published writings. For him, the origin of ble each other, but which are not distinct, tive isolation. They want to know where, adaptations to new ecological challenges being just artificially united fluctuating how and when reproductive isolation comes within species and the origin of the species forms that overlap with other potential about, and how it can be measured. How- themselves seemed almost the same thing. species. To overstate the dilemma, Darwin ever, some researchers believe that accept- Arguably, the processes that result in the neither believed in species nor did he write ing the BSC stifles the study of speciation divergence of lineages to form new species are about how new species arise. He left these by limiting it to the study of the origin of different from the mechanisms of the longer, really hard nuts for subsequent generations reproductive isolation.The concept’s depen- and often more pronounced, divergence of evolutionary biologists to crack. dence on reproductive isolation among sex- that occurs afterwards. It is generally accep- Ernst Mayr, the centenarian doyen of ually reproducing organisms, for example, ted that the processes differ in timescale: evolutionary biology, contends that the means it cannot easily be applied to bacteria whether species arise rapidly (for example species problem can be reduced to a simple and organisms that reproduce clonally. through polyploidation, as in some plants) choice between species as realities of nature Geographic mechanisms of speciation,in or more gradually, the splitting of lineages or as theoretical constructs of the human which formerly interbreeding populations is generally much faster than the subsequent mind.There are many alternative definitions are prevented from doing so by geographic divergence within a species. But are the of species, each emphasizing some cause or barriers,are generally thought to be the most processes through which divergence occurs biological feature of species, and/or basing common way for new species to arise, and during and after speciation fundamentally its definition on a particular analytical or this idea receives much empirical support. different? Coyne and Orr would probably empirical approach or data set in an attempt A non-adaptive by-product of isolation is say yes;others might disagree. to capture the essence of what makes a group that, over many generations, genomes or The study of speciation depends on the of individuals a species. (Thankfully, these gene frequencies drift apart. This then pre- ‘species problem’ — knowing what consti- are discussed in the appendix of the book.) vents interbreeding and the homogenizing tutes a species. How objective are the criteria Some researchers have even advocated abol- flow of genes from one species to the other that we use to assign individuals and pop- ishing the notion of species altogether. when they come into contact again. ulations to units that we call species, and Can we even begin to answer questions It was Mayr who laid the foundations for do they affect the study of the processes of about speciation without knowing what much of the current research on the origin NATURE | VOL 431 | 23 SEPTEMBER 2004 | www.nature.com/nature 399 © 2004 Nature Publishing Group books and arts of species, in particular for the BSC and for most geography-based hypotheses of specia- tion. Coyne and Orr could be accused of being ‘admayrers’, but that’s not the worst thing one can be called, in my opinion. Unlike Mayr in his early work, the authors M. PETERSON/CORBIS admit, albeit with palpable hesitation, that speciation can also occur without geographic isolation,in overlapping or ‘sympatric’areas. Sympatric speciation,which for decades had all the caché of a four-letter word, is increas- ingly seen to be responsible for the origin of at least a minority of species. Coyne and Orr also give renewed cre- dence to models of speciation that empha- size a role for sexual or natural selection, rather than viewing the origin of species as little more than a by-product of isolation. One currently popular model, ecological speciation, de-emphasizes geographical set- Grabbing a bite: the main role of teeth is to break down large items of food into smaller ones. tings and reaffirms the importance of local adaptations and natural selection in bring- influence this.He also includes more general ing about speciation.Reproductive isolation reviews of dental and oral anatomy,and pro- may be brought about by ecological pro- Something to vides an excellent summary of the processes cesses, such as habitat fragmentation or the of chewing and oral transport, viewed from uneven distribution of resources. In such chew on the perspective of the mechanical properties cases, interbreeding is prevented between Dental Functional Morphology: of food,such as particle size and stickiness. populations that are limited — by behav- How Teeth Work This food’s-eye view leads to numerous ioural, physiological and morphological by Peter W. Lucas insights and interesting ideas,such as Lucas’s adaptations — to a very particular set of Cambridge University Press: 2004. 372 pp. theory of fracture scaling. Bigger animals prey items, for example, or a particular tree $130, £75 have bigger teeth, whose surface areas might species that they need to build their nests. Daniel E. Lieberman be predicted to scale with body mass to the The absence of the homogenizing effect of power of 0.67 (because tooth area increases gene flow between individuals, not through Science has made substantial progress since to the power of two,and body mass increases geography but by the divergence of Aristotle wrote (apparently without doing to the power of three, yielding a scaling ratio adapted and ecologically important traits, much research) that women have fewer of 2/3). Yet tooth surface area in mammals possibly even in the same environment, then teeth than men. The sheer volume of pub- typically scales to the power of 0.61.Why this leads to reproductive isolation. In this way, lished research on teeth since may lead some is so remains elusive, but Lucas argues that natural selection can play a prominent role to conclude that we have over-compensated fracture mechanics plays a role. in speciation. for Aristotle’s ignorance. Yet teeth merit all The argument is complex,but boils down The most recent work, largely done on this attention because of their tremendous to the observation that once a crack is initiated fish models, includes modern genomic biological importance — not to mention the in an object,little additional energy is needed approaches, such as the analysis of quantita- dreadful pain they can cause. Dental devel- to finish the job, regardless of its size. Bigger tive trait loci. It concludes that reproductive opment and function are the focus of much foods fracture at relatively low stress, which isolation and speciation may be a by-product clinical attention. And for evolutionary biol- has several implications. One is that bigger of ecological differences and disruptive ogists, teeth are invaluable sources of infor- animals (assuming that they chew bigger selection on a surprisingly small number of mation about taxonomy, phylogeny and food) need relatively less muscle force (as phenotypic traits,which are controlled by an many other aspects of animal biology.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Book Review: Jerry A. Coyne's Why Evolution Is True
    A peer-reviewed electronic journal published by the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies ISSN 1541-0099 20(1) – June 2009 Book review: Jerry A. Coyne’s Why Evolution Is True Russell Blackford, Monash University Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Evolution and Technology Journal of Evolution and Technology - Vol. 20 Issue 1 – June 2009 - pgs 61-66 http://jetpress.org/v20/blackford.htm Why Evolution Is True. By Jerry A. Coyne. Viking, New York, 2009. 282 pp., $27.95 (hardback). ISBN: 978 0 670 02053 9 (all page references to this edition) Jerry A. Coyne is a professor at the University of Chicago, where his research focuses on evolutionary genetics and speciation. In Why Evolution Is True, he presents a full-scale defence of modern evolutionary theory, which can, so he notes, be described in one long sentence: Life on earth evolved gradually beginning with one primitive species – perhaps a self-replicating molecule – that lived more than 3.5 billion years ago; it then branched out over time, throwing off many new and diverse species; and the mechanism for most (but not all) of evolutionary change is natural selection. (3.) This breaks down into six components: the fact of evolution, in the sense of genetic change over time; the idea of gradualism, of changes taking place over many generations (although sometimes they come about relatively quickly, depending on the evolutionary pressures operating); the phenomenon of speciation, whereby new species split off from existing lineages; the common ancestry of different species, since new species,
    [Show full text]
  • Evolution Is a Short-Order Cook, Not a Watchmaker
    NATURE|Vol 435|19 May 2005 CORRESPONDENCE When science meets religion in the classroom SIR – In the Editorial “Dealing with design” such a reconciliation impossible because faith scientific challenges to their faith should seek (Nature434,1053; 2005), Natureclaims that and science are two mutually exclusive ways guidance from a theologian, not a scientist. scientists have not dealt effectively with the of looking at the world. For such scientists, Scientists should never have to apologize for threat to evolutionary biology posed by Natureapparently prescribes hypocrisy. The teaching science. ‘intelligent design’ (ID) creationism. Rather real business of science teachers is to teach Jerry Coyne than ignoring, dismissing or attacking ID, science, not to help students shore up world- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University scientists should, the editors suggest, learn views that crumble when they learn science. of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA how religious people can come to terms And ID creationism is not science, despite Peter AtkinsLincoln College, University of Oxford with science, and teach these methods of the editors’ suggestion that ID “tries to use Colin BlakemoreMedical Research Council, London accommodation in the classroom. The goal scientific methods to find evidence of God in Richard DawkinsOxford University Museum, University of Oxford of science education should thus be “to point nature”. Rather, advocates of ID pretend to use Steve JonesGalton Laboratories, University College London to options other than ID for reconciling scientific methods to support their religious Richard LewontinMuseum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University science and belief ”. In this way, students’ faith preconceptions. It has no more place in the John Maddox 9 Pitt Street, London W8 4NX will not be challenged by scientific truth, and biology classroom than geocentrism has in Paul NurseThe Rockefeller University, New York evolution will triumph.
    [Show full text]
  • “The Church of the Homeless Jesus As a Home for the Holidays” Advent 4C (December 23, 2018) Rev. Dr. David A. Kaden >>
    1 “The Church of the Homeless Jesus as a Home for the Holidays” Advent 4C (December 23, 2018) Rev. Dr. David A. Kaden >>Put a hand on our shoulder and point us in the right direction. Put our hand on someone’s shoulder and let it matter. Amen<< On Friday, Jerry Coyne, Emeritus Professor of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago, published a piece titled, “Yes, There is a War between Science and Religion.”1 Science, he writes, searches for “truth about the universe” through observation, “doing experiments,” and “replicating … [the] results.” Religion, on the other hand, he says, searches for truth “via dogma, scripture, and authority.” “The conflict between [them],” he says, “rests on the [conflicting] methods they use to decide what is truth … .” I winced when I read Coyne’s characterization of religion with the words “dogma” and “authority.” I wonder if he’s ever been to a UCC church! Friday’s article was not the first time Coyne made this argument. He published a book on the conflict between science and religion back in 2015, which won mixed reviews in the Washington Post, The Atlantic, and others. Mixed reviews, because it seems that whenever ​ ​ ​ scientists venture of course into the churning waters of the religious world, in order to criticize religion, they tend to take aim at the easy conservative religious targets: Coyne’s easy target is the dismissal of climate change by some more conservative people of faith, who ignore the warnings of scientists - an example of people of faith venturing off course into the ​ ​ world of science.
    [Show full text]
  • Why Evolutionary Psychology Is 'True". a Review of Jerry Coyne, Why
    Evolutionary Psychology www.epjournal.net – 2009. 7(2): 288-294 ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ Book Review Why Evolutionary Psychology is “True” 1 A review of Jerry Coyne, Why Evolution is True. Viking Penguin: New York, 2009, 304 pp., US$27.95, ISBN-13 978-0-670-02053-9 (hardcover) James R. Liddle, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Davie, FL 33314 USA, Email: [email protected] (corresponding author). Todd K. Shackelford, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Psychology, Davie, FL 33314 USA, Email: [email protected]. Jerry Coyne is a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago. In Why Evolution is True (WEIT), he undertakes a daunting task: to provide a thorough yet concise and readable account of the evidence in support of evolution. It is difficult to overstate Coyne’s success in meeting this goal. From fossils and embryos to biogeography and speciation, Coyne not only reviews detailed evidence for evolution, but also explains why this evidence is exactly what we would expect to find if evolution were true, all with a writing style that is engaging and accessible. Coyne is also successful in what is obviously another of his goals, which is to provide a devastating response to creationist arguments. Several reviews have summarized the many excellent aspects of WEIT (e.g., Dawkins, 2009; Futuyma, 2009; Padian, 2009). In this review, we address an aspect of WEIT that appears to have been mentioned in just one other review. Futuyma (2009) briefly mentions Coyne’s critique of evolutionary psychology, suggesting that “one might make more allowance for the possible validity of hypotheses in this field” (p.
    [Show full text]
  • Jerry Coyne the Faith That Dare Not Speak Its Name the Case Against Intelligent Design
    the new republic P august 22 & 29, 2005 21 Wolsky had fabrics made. “Samples long as we’re there, we might as well ap- pictures possible?” I asked who that per- would go back and forth until we could preciate the good ones. We might also son might be. Fellini said, “Piero Gher- arrive at the right weight, weave and col- remember that costumes are usually ex- ardi.” Gherardi was the designer, a long- or.... Everything that Tom Hanks wore tensions of the director’s concept of the time colleague of Fellini’s. He was out of was woven for him.” The facing photo of film. In 1964 I spent a day with Federico town at the moment, and by the time I Hanks in his long overcoat makes us Fellini in Rome while he was shooting got back to Rome he had died. But I nev- grateful for Wolsky’s care. Juliet of the Spirits. At the end of the day er see a Fellini film, which happens fairly I doubt that many viewers go to films I thanked him, and he said, “Why don’t often, without thinking of what the direc- in order to judge the costumes, but as you go to see the genius who makes my tor said about his designer. J Jerry Coyne The Faith That Dare Not Speak Its Name The case against intelligent design. I. Of Pandas and People evidence.... Intelligent design is an xactly eighty years after By Percival Davis and explanation of the origin of life that the Scopes “monkey trial” Dean H.
    [Show full text]
  • Jerry A. Coyne. Why Evolution Is True. New York: Viking, 2009. 282 Pp. $27.95 (Cloth). ISBN 9780670020539. Matt Young and Paul K
    Christian Scholar’s Review 358 Untitled book review, Michael Buratovich, Christian Scholar’s Review, 23(3), 358-362 (2010). Reprinted with permission. Jerry A. Coyne. Why Evolution is True. New York: Viking, 2009. 282 pp. $27.95 (cloth). ISBN 9780670020539. Matt Young and Paul K. Strode . Why Evolution Works (And Creationism Fails). Piscataway, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2009. 241 pp. $21.95 (paper). ISBN 9780813545509. Reviewed by Michael Buratovich, Biochemistry, Spring Arbor University On May 28, 2007, the recent creationist organization Answers in Genesis opened its 27- million-dollar Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky. Although the organization projected 250,000 visitors to the museum in its first year, 404,000 people paid to see the museum dur- ing its first year of operation. Despite the economic slowdown in 2008-2009, almost one million people have visited the museum since its opening. The Creation Museum aggressively 7 Reviews promotes a young earth and universe, flood geology, contemporaneous existence of almost 359 all fossil creatures, and attacks the Neo-Darwinian theory of biological evolution vigorously. The broad exposure of the American public to the Creation Museum and, consequently, the arguments for Recent Creationism promulgated by organizations like Answers in Genesis, has motivated mainstream scientists to articulate and clarify their views of biological evolution and why they embrace it. Two popular books on the theory of biological evolution that attempt to do just that are Jerry Coyne’s Why Evolution is True and Matt Young and Paul Strode’s Why Evolution Works (and Creationism Fails). Both of these books are very readable and provide useful summaries of evolutionary theory.
    [Show full text]
  • Stephen Jay Gould
    Stephen Jay Gould This article is about the paleontologist and science writer. For the science fiction writer, see Steven Gould. For the 19th century businessman, see Jay Gould. Stephen Jay Gould (/ɡuːld/; September 10, 1941 – May 20, 2002) was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He was also one of the most influential and widely read writers of popular science of his generation.[1] Gould spent most of his ca- reer teaching at Harvard University and working at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. In the later years of his life, Gould also taught biology and evolution at New York University. Gould’s most significant contribution to evolutionary bi- Example of Tyrannosaurus rex in the American Natural History ology was the theory of punctuated equilibrium, which Museum, which Gould said inspired him to become a paleontol- he developed with Niles Eldredge in 1972.[2] The the- ogist (this particular example was mounted towards the end of ory proposes that most evolution is marked by long peri- Gould’s life). ods of evolutionary stability, which is punctuated by rare instances of branching evolution. The theory was con- trasted against phyletic gradualism, the idea that evolu- American Museum of Natural History, where he first en- tionary change is marked by a pattern of smooth and con- countered Tyrannosaurus rex. “I had no idea there were [7] tinuous change in the fossil record. such things—I was awestruck,” Gould once recalled. It was in that moment that he decided to become a paleon- Most of Gould’s empirical research was based on tologist.
    [Show full text]
  • Public Lectures by Prof. Jerry Coyne
    PUBLIC LECTURES BY PROF. JERRY COYNE SCIENCE , EVOLUTION AND RATIONALITY Jerry Coyne, Ph.D. INDIAN INSTITUTE OF Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolution, SCIENCE EDUCATION University of Chicago, U.S.A. AND RESEARCH (IISER Jerry Allen Coyne is an evolutionary biologist, known for PUNE) his work on speciation and his commentary on intelligent PRESENTS design. His work prominently focuses on understanding the origin of species: the evolutionary process that A PUBLIC LECTURE produces discrete groups in nature. SERIES WITH He is the author of the books Why Evolution Is True and Faith Vs. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible INTERNATIONALLY and is a co-author of the book Speciation. Coyne has ACCLAIMED written over 115 refereed scientific papers and 130 other articles, book reviews, and columns and is a frequent BIOLOGIST contributor to The New Republic, The Times Literary PROF. JERRY Supplement, and other popular periodicals. Coyne also COYNE maintains a website called Why Evolution Is True. PUNE LECTURE ABSTRACTS Indian Institute of Science Education Two flies on an island: Speciation in African Drosophila and Research Two sister species of Drosophila, D. yakuba and D. santomea, are Dr. Homi Bhabha Road, Pashan, sympatric on the island of São Tomé off the west coast of Africa. In Pune, INDIA this talk I describe a number of studies that investigate the biogeography, genetics, and evolutionary dynamics of these species, comparing our findings to other species in the genus in an attempt to December 21, 2017 discover if there are generalizations to be found about how new Two flies on an island: Speciation in species form.
    [Show full text]
  • Jerry Coyne “The Faith That Dare Not Speak Its Name: the Case Against Intelligent Design” in the New Republic, Aug 22 & 29, 2005 Issue, P
    Nick Strobel’s “cliff notes” of Jerry Coyne’s article in New Republic. See Coyne’s article for the full details with examples. Strobel bears all responsibility for errors in these notes. Jerry Coyne “The Faith That Dare Not Speak Its Name: The Case Against Intelligent Design” in The New Republic, Aug 22 & 29, 2005 issue, p. 21-33. Available at http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml?i=20050822&s=coyne082205 Reason why the Dover School Board presented Intelligent Design as a requirement was explicitly for religious, particularly Christian, reasons. The chair of the school board said at the school board meeting open to the public that the textbooks should include Biblical theories of creation: “This country wasn’t found on Muslim beliefs or evolution. This country was founded on Christianity and our students should be taught as such.” One week later, he said “Two thousand years ago, someone died on a cross. Can’t someone take a stand for him? Nowhere in the Constitution does it call for a separation of church and state.” The school board explicitly endorsed the use “Of Pandas and People” as an alternative to the biology textbooks and required biology classes to be made aware of the book. Intelligent Design is merely the latest incarnation of the biblical creationism of the young-earth, literalist, creationists. Amendment 1 of the Constitution: Amendment I - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression. Ratified 12/15/1791. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
    [Show full text]
  • GSU, Pros Prof, GA V4
    October 22, 2014 SENT VIA MAIL AND EMAIL TO: [email protected] Dr. Brooks A. Keel President, Georgia Southern University P.O. Box 8033 Statesboro, GA 30460-8033 Re: Constitutional concerns with professor proselytizing in classroom Dear President Keel: I am writing on behalf of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) and the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science (RDFRS) to urge you to investigate reports of a Georgia Southern University (GSU) professor proselytizing in the classroom. A concerned student contacted us. FFRF is a national nonprofit organization with more than 21,000 members, including more than 400 members in Georgia and an Atlanta chapter. We protect the constitutional separation between state and church. RDFRS ensures that science education and public policy remain secular and works to eliminate the stigma surrounding atheism and nonbelief. It is our understanding that the GSU employs Prof. Emerson T. McMullen to teach history, including classes in the honors program, such as World History 1112. However, it is our information and understanding that McMullen uses class time to proselytize students and advance his personal religion, Christianity. We lay out the reported problems and the legal implications of those problems in two separate sections below. We understand that as a historian, particularly a historian with a focus on science, McMullen could legitimately discuss the development of scientific ideas. He could even legitimately discuss religious doctrines masquerading as science, such as young earth creationism and intelligent design. However, it appears that McMullen does not present these as religious ideas lacking scientific merit. Instead, McMullen presents these religious beliefs as scientific fact.
    [Show full text]
  • Of Evolution Kevin Padian
    Book Review/Science in the Media Truth or Consequences? Engaging the “Truth” of Evolution Kevin Padian ohn is the only one of the four to the uninitiated not just what we evangelists who recounts Jesus’ regard as the evidence but how we J(possibly apocryphal) statement to come to see it as evidence. But Coyne Pilate that he was in fact a king whose is concentrating less on methods and role was “to bear witness to the truth; philosophy than he is on the evidence and all who are on the side of truth itself—which he reasonably thinks listen to my voice.” Pilate is said to have should be enough to convince sentient replied to this, “What is truth?” people of the truth of evolution. This is a question that Jerry Coyne The problem is that, as Pilate never really engages in his excellent implied, truth is a personal thing. new book [1], which purports to This is not to say that all morality is explain why evolution is “true.” This subjective and all ethics conditional, raises the question of who his intended and we don’t need to rehash audience is. But we’ll get there in a philosophy here. But it seems important minute. First, make no mistake: this in a book entitled Why Evolution Is True is a wonderful book, as far as the to engage the question of truth—and explanation of many of the interesting whose truth—at least a bit. lines of evidence and case histories for Everyone is aware of the level of evolution go.
    [Show full text]
  • Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Theology?
    Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 44 (2013) 774–786 Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/shpsc Nothing in biology makes sense except in light of theology? Stephen Dilley Department of Philosophy, St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX 78704, USA article info abstract Article history: This essay analyzes Theodosius Dobzhansky’s famous article, ‘‘Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in Received 28 January 2013 the Light of Evolution,’’ in which he presents some of his best arguments for evolution. I contend that all Received in revised form 18 June 2013 of Dobzhansky’s arguments hinge upon sectarian claims about God’s nature, actions, purposes, or duties. Available online 26 July 2013 Moreover, Dobzhansky’s theology manifests several tensions, both in the epistemic justification of his theological claims and in their collective coherence. I note that other prominent biologists—such as Mayr, Keywords: Dawkins, Eldredge, Ayala, de Beer, Futuyma, and Gould—also use theology-laden arguments. I recom- Evolution mend increased analysis of the justification, complexity, and coherence of this theology. Theology 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Theodosius Dobzhansky Ó Creationism Arguments for evolution When citing this paper, please use the full journal title Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences ‘‘Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light
    [Show full text]