DOCSLIB.ORG

Conceptual Change and Scientific Progress in Genetics

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Conceptual Change and Scientific Progress in Genetics CONCEPTUAL CHANGE AND SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS IN GENETICS A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES OF MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY BY GÖKHAN AKBAY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY SEPTEMBER 2016 Approval of the Graduate School of Social Sciences Prof. Dr. Tülin Gençöz Director I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Prof. Dr. Halil Ş. Turan Head of Department This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Samet Bağçe Supervisor Examining Committee Members Prof. Dr. Mesut Muyan (METU,BIOL) Assoc.Prof. Dr. Samet Bağçe (METU,PHIL) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Yeşim Aydın Son (METU, HI) Prof. Dr. Mehmet Elgin (Muğla U.,PHIL) Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ergi D. Özsoy (Hacettepe, BIOL) I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name : Gökhan AKBAY Signature : iii ABSTRACT CONCEPTUAL CHANGE AND SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS IN GENETICS Akbay, Gökhan Ph.D., Department of Philosophy Supervisor : Assoc. Prof. Dr. Samet Bağçe September 2016, 331 pages In this thesis, the historical origins and the contemporary status of the gene centric perspective is evaluated. Gene centrism is a viewpoint which is characterized by the emphasis on genes in the explanation of phenotypes. Gene centric perspective has been defended on the grounds that only genes bear information that specifies organisms. The information concept, as it is used in biology, is problematic. Gene centrism cannot be grounded on a problematic concept of information. The real power of gene centrism depends on the success of genetic analysis as a method for investigating biological phenomena, rather than a fundamental theory based on the concept of information. Complex phenoptypes and their genetic bases, for which genetic analysis reaches its limit, provide clues for how the limits of gene centrism would be transgressed. Keywords: Gene centrism, genetic information, genetic determinism, genetic program, scientific progress. iv ÖZ GENETİKTE KAVRAMSAL DEĞİŞİM VE BİLİMSEL İLERLEME Akbay, Gökhan Doktora, Felsefe Bölümü Tez Yöneticisi: Doç. Dr. Samet Bağçe Eylül 2016, 331 sayfa Bu tezde gen merkezci perspektifin tarihsel kökenleri ve güncel durumu değerlendirilmektedir. Gen merkezcilik, fenotiplerin açıklanmasında genleri vurgulanmasıyla karakterize edilen bir yaklaşımdır. Gen merkezci perspektif, genlerin organizmayı belirleyen enformasyonu taşıması üzerine temelendirilmiştir. Biyolojide kullanıldığı biçimiyle enformasyon kavramı sorunludur. Gen merkezcilik sorunlu bir enformasyon kavramıyla temellendirilemez. Gen merkezciliğin asıl kuvveti, enformasyon kavramına dayanan temel bir kuramdan ziyade, genetik analizin tarihsel olarak, biyolojik görüngüleri irdelemek için başarılı bir yöntem sunmasından kaynaklanır. Genetik analizin yetersiz kaldığı karmaşık fenotipler ve bunların genetik temelleri, gen merkezciliğin sınırlarının nasıl aşılacağı konusunda ipuçları sunmaktadır. Anahtar Kelimeler: Gen merkezcilik, genetik enformasyon, genetik program, bilimsel ilerleme. v To My Wife Semay, Whose labor for this work is invisible to most, but not for me. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I owe much to my supervisor Samet Bağçe in the completion of this work for his constant personal support, as well as his insights about the pragmatic aspects of philosophy of science. Without those insights, this work would be confined to the metaphysical dimensions of genotype-phenotype relations. Dr. Bağçe directed my attention to the “problem solving” practices of scientists and the fact that the history of a science is the best place to develop a philosophy of that science. I would like to thank Dr. Yeşim Aydın Son for her short course on GWAS, her course on microarrays, her reading suggestions and her humble approach to a philosophy student who is ignorant about the state-of-the-art bioinformatic methods that she is so competent on. I hope I will be as humble as her towards my future students. I would also like to thank Dr. Mesut Muyan for his suggestions about the general direction of my research. His philosophical stance against difficult theoretical problems of molecular biological research will be an inspiration for me. His emphasis on the prospects of systems biology provides a lead for my future research. I thank Dr. Mehmet Elgin for his “to the point” suggestions on improving the last draft of this thesis. The revisions he offered were of great value to me, especially with respect to situating the position of my work in the general philosophy of science literature. I would also like to thank Dr. Ergi Deniz Özsoy for pointing to the inadequacy of gene centric vision and reminding me the importance of the concept of genetic architecture for my future studies. vii Dr. Mehmet Somel contributed to this work by providing revisions for the fourth chapter on population genetics. He offered some crucial suggestions on that chapter. I thank him for his support. Lastly, I would like to thank three people who had significant contributions to the completion of this work. My father in law Bektaş Karaslan supported my intellectual endeavours unconditionally and he was one of the few people with whom I discussed the content of my work. My dear friend Serdal Tümkaya read the preliminary drafts of chapters 2 and 3 and suggested some revisions. He also contributed to this work by our lively discussions on genetic determinism. My mother Naime Akbay made the thesis writing period easier. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS PLAGIARISM..........................................................................................................iii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. iv ÖZ ............................................................................................................................. v DEDICATION ......................................................................................................... vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS...................................................................................... vii TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES................................................................................................. xii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION........................................................................................... 1 1.1 Colorful Tales About Genetics Determinism and the History of Genetics .......................................................................... 1 1.2 The Structure of the Thesis ..................................................................... 6 2. MENDELIAN GENETICS: THE EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF INHERITANCE .......................................................................................... 10 2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 10 2.2 Mendel: The Birth of Genetic Analysis ................................................ 11 2.3 Bateson and Unit Characters ................................................................. 22 2.4 Johannsen and The Genotype Conception of Heredity ......................... 25 2.5 Linkage Mapping and T. H. Morgan’s Fly Lab .................................... 28 2.6 Gametic Purity, Factor Constancy and the Multiple Factor Hypothesis .......................................................... 32 2.7 Truncate and Factor Constancy ............................................................. 36 2.8 Beaded: The Mechanism Behind Constant Heterozygosity .................. 42 2.9 What is a Gene in Mendelian Genetics? ............................................... 46 2.10 The “One Gene-One Enzyme” Hypothesis ......................................... 53 2.11 Conclusion........................................................................................... 60 ix 3. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE GENE: THE INFORMATIONAL FRAMEWORK ......................................................................................... 63 3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 63 3.2 Biophysical Reduction and Molecular Biology: General Laws vs. Specific Structures ............................................................................... 64 3.3 Structural and Biochemical Senses of Specificity ................................. 67 3.4 DNA and Two Concepts of Information ............................................... 76 3.5 The Path to the Genetic Code ................................................................ 78 3.6 The Path to the Bacterial Genetic Regulation ....................................... 91 3.7 Conclusion ........................................................................................... 102 4. GENES IN EVOLUTION ........................................................................... 104 4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................... 104 4.2 Mendelian Genetics and Darwin’s Theory of Evolution ..................... 107
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Use of Genomic Tools to Discover the Cause of Champagne Dilution Coat Color in Horses and to Map the Genetic Cause of Extreme Lordosis in American Saddlebred Horses
    University of Kentucky UKnowledge Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science Veterinary Science 2014 USE OF GENOMIC TOOLS TO DISCOVER THE CAUSE OF CHAMPAGNE DILUTION COAT COLOR IN HORSES AND TO MAP THE GENETIC CAUSE OF EXTREME LORDOSIS IN AMERICAN SADDLEBRED HORSES Deborah G. Cook University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Cook, Deborah G., "USE OF GENOMIC TOOLS TO DISCOVER THE CAUSE OF CHAMPAGNE DILUTION COAT COLOR IN HORSES AND TO MAP THE GENETIC CAUSE OF EXTREME LORDOSIS IN AMERICAN SADDLEBRED HORSES" (2014). Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science. 15. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gluck_etds/15 This Doctoral Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Veterinary Science at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations--Veterinary Science by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STUDENT AGREEMENT: I represent that my thesis or dissertation and abstract are my original work. Proper attribution has been given to all outside sources. I understand that I am solely responsible for obtaining any needed copyright permissions. I have obtained needed written permission statement(s) from the owner(s) of each third-party copyrighted matter to be included in my work, allowing electronic distribution (if such use is not permitted by the fair use doctrine) which will be submitted to UKnowledge as Additional File. I hereby grant to The University of Kentucky and its agents the irrevocable, non-exclusive, and royalty-free license to archive and make accessible my work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known.
    [Show full text]
  • Assortative Mating (4 P.)
    Evolutionary Dynamics: Population Genetics and Ecological Models WS 2019/2020 course number: MA4453-KP05 Assignment 1 due: October 28 Mendel's experiments & Punnett squares (4 P.) In the lecture, we discussed Mendel's experiments with garden peas in which he considered one character (e.g. ower color or seed shape). In a second step, he considered two characters simultaneously. He started with two pure lines. One had yellow (dominant allele Y ), wrinkled (recessive allele r) seeds. The other had green (recessive allele y), round (dominant allele R) seeds. I.e. the genotypes of these pure lines were Y Y rr and yyRR. He crossed these two lines to obtain the F1 generation. He then obtained the F2 generation through selng of individuals from the F1 generation. Draw the corresponding Punnett square to determine the genotypes and phenotypes that are generated in this way. What are the proportions of the observed phenotypes if you determine proportions by counting the respective cells in the Punnett square? Mendel indeed observed these proportions. However, in 1905, William Bateson, Edith Re- becca Saunders, and Reginald Punnett performed a similar experiment in sweet pea plants. They simultaneously considered ower color and pollen shape and found dierent proportions than Mendel. How can this discrepancy be explained? You can read Mendel's original publication here (in German!): http: // www. deutschestextarchiv. de/ book/ view/ mendel_ pflanzenhybriden_ 1866? p= 14 Assortative mating (4 P.) In the lecture, we studied randomly mating individuals. However, in reality, mating is often non-random. E.g. individuals may prefer to mate with individuals that are similar to them with respect to some trait.
    [Show full text]
  • The Punnett Square Was Created in the Early 1900S by Reginald Punnett
    Punnett Square The Punnett Square was created in the early 1900s by Reginald Punnett. Punnett was born in 1875 and was the eldest of three children. He grew up in England and was fascinated by the natural sciences at an early age. When he was young, he was often stricken by appendix issues and had to stay quiet during recovery. During one particular recovery period, he spent a large amount of time reading his father’s library on natural history, which sparked his interest and had a lasting impact on his career choices (Crew 1967). As Punnett continued his love for science, he eventually became one of the first scientists to study genetics at Cambridge University and helped to establish the field there. He spent a significant amount of time conducting genetics research with the leading scientists of his day, including William Bateson and G. H. Hardy (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory 2011). Together they were strong proponents of the genetic work of Gregor Mendel, who today is credited as the father of genetics. In 1905, Punnett devised what is known today as the Punnett Square (Arizona State University 2012). The Punnett Square is used to illustrate some of Mendel’s discoveries including the segregation of DNA into different gametes upon gamete formation. The Punnett Square was designed as a teaching tool and is still used in classrooms today. The premise is simple; the genetic contribution of the two individuals under study is listed on each side of the square. For example, we are to cross two sweet pea individuals that have the genotypes Gg and gg.
    [Show full text]
  • STORIA DEL PENSIERO BIOLOGICO EVOLUTIVO Con Riflessioni Di Filosofia Ambientale
    STORIA DEL PENSIERO BIOLOGICO EVOLUTIVO con riflessioni di filosofia ambientale STORIA DEL PENSIERO BIOLOGICO EVOLUTIVO con riflessioni di filosofia ambientale Piergiacomo Pagano 2013 ENEA Agenzia nazionale per le nuove tecnologie, l’energia e lo sviluppo economico sostenibile Lungotevere Thaon di Revel, 76 00196 ROMA ISBN 978-88-8286-288-6 Foto in copertina In alto: fotografie di Fabio Conte Sfondo e riquadro: fotografie di Piergiacomo Pagano (Pellicani a Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia, novembre 2003; Baobab, mousse du Senegal, febbraio 1991) STORIA DEL PENSIERO BIOLOGICO EVOLUTIVO con riflessioni di filosofia ambientale PIERGIACOMO PAGANO P. Pagano, Storia del Pensiero Biologico Evolutivo, ENEA INDICE Premessa …………………………………………………………………………………………..… 11 Introduzione ………………………………………………………………………………………… 13 1 Sui tre inspiegabili fatti che misero in dubbio la Creazione ……………………………………... 17 1.1 In antichità: cause finali e progetto …………………………………………………………...……... 17 1.2 L’età moderna ……………………………………………………………………………………...... 18 1.3 La grande diversità degli animali e delle piante …………………………………………………….. 19 1.4 Le palesi ingiustizie ……………………………………………………………………...………….. 20 1.5 La presenza di fossili inglobati nelle rocce ………………………………………………………..... 21 2 La Natura, gli organismi e la loro classificazione ……………………………………………...… 23 2.1 La classificazione in Platone …………………………………………………………………...…… 23 2.2 Classificazioni …………………………………………………………………………………...….. 25 2.3 Dopo Platone ………………………………………………………………………………………... 25 2.4 Aristotele e lo studio della Natura
    [Show full text]
  • William Bateson: Scientific Correspondence and Papers (MS Add.8634)
    Cambridge University Library, Department of Archives and Modern Manuscripts Finding Aid - William Bateson: Scientific Correspondence and Papers (MS Add.8634) Generated by Access to Memory (AtoM) 2.4.0 Printed: February 27, 2019 Language of description: English Cambridge University Library, Department of Archives and Modern Manuscripts https://archive.lib.cam.ac.uk/index.php/william-bateson-scientific-correspondence-and-papers William Bateson: Scientific Correspondence and Papers Table of contents Summary information .................................................................................................................................... 20 Administrative history / Biographical sketch ................................................................................................ 20 Scope and content ......................................................................................................................................... 20 Notes .............................................................................................................................................................. 21 Access points ................................................................................................................................................. 21 Collection holdings ........................................................................................................................................ 22 MS Add.8634/A.1-A.84, Biographical papers (c.1859-1935 & 1972) .....................................................
    [Show full text]
  • William Bateson: a Biologist Ahead of His Time
    Ó Indian Academy of Sciences PERSPECTIVES William Bateson: a biologist ahead of his time PATRICK BATESON* Sub-Department of Animal Behaviour, University of Cambridge, Madingley, Cambridge CB3 8AA, UK William Bateson coined the term genetics and, more than son in a letter to Adam Sedgwick in 1905 when he hoped anybody else, championed the principles of heredity dis- to be appointed to a new chair (B. Bateson 1928). covered by Gregor Mendel. Nevertheless, his reputation William Bateson was the most vigorous promoter of is soured by the positions he took about the discontinui- Mendel’s ideas at the beginning of the twentieth century ties in inheritance that might precede formation of a new and effectively launched the modern subject of genetics. species and by his reluctance to accept, in its full- Historians of biology acknowledge the importance of this blooded form, the view of chromosomes as the control- contribution but criticise his ideas on sudden changes in lers of individual development. Growing evidence sug- evolution leading to the origin of new species and his gests that both of these positions have been vindicated. questioning of the role of chromosomes (Mayr 1982). In New species are now thought to arise as the result of this article I re-examine these criticisms of Bateson in the genetic interactions, chromosomal rearrangements, or light of modern advances in biology. both, that render hybrids less viable or sterile. Chromo- Bateson was born on 8 August 1861. He was raised in somes are the sites of genes but genes move between a comfortable home and had an eminent father who was chromosomes much more readily than had been previ- for 24 years Master of St John’s College, Cambridge.
    [Show full text]
  • Genetic Load”: How the Architects of the Modern Synthesis Became Trapped in a Scientific Ideology Alexandra Soulier
    “Genetic Load”: How the Architects of the Modern Synthesis Became Trapped in a Scientific Ideology Alexandra Soulier To cite this version: Alexandra Soulier. “Genetic Load”: How the Architects of the Modern Synthesis Became Trapped in a Scientific Ideology. Transversal: International Journal for the Historiography of Science, Graduate Program in History of Federal University of Minas Gerais, 2018, 4 (4), pp.118-139. 10.24117/2526- 2270.2018.i4.11. hal-01818407 HAL Id: hal-01818407 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01818407 Submitted on 19 Jun 2018 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Transversal: International Journal for the Historiography of Science, 4 (2018) 118-139 ISSN 2526-2270 www.historiographyofscience.org © The Author 2018 – This is an open access article “Genetic Load”: How the Architects of the Modern Synthesis Became Trapped in a Scientific Ideology Alexandra Soulier1 Abstract The term “genetic load” first emerged in a paper written in 1950 by the geneticist H. Muller. It is a mathematical model based on biological, social, political and ethical arguments describ- ing the dramatic accumulation of disadvantageous mutations in human populations that will occur in modern societies if eugenic measures are not taken.
    [Show full text]
  • Mendel: Darwin's Savior Or Opponent
    10/27/11 Mendel: Darwin’s Savior or Opponent Gregor Mendel • An Augustinian monk, Mendel studied physics and natural science in Vienna, but lived most of his adult life in the cloister at Altbrunn (now Brno in the Czech Republic) • Starting in 1856 he conducted plant breeding experiments in the cloister’s garden • Seeking the “law governing the formation and development of hybrids” Mendel’s Breeding Experiments • An lucky choice of model organism. Chose to study peas because • They exhibit relatively easy to distinguish traints • They naturally self pollinated but are easy to cross-pollinate • To characterize their behavior in crosses, Mendel introduced the vocabulary of dominant (traits that appeared in hybrid crosses) and recessive characters (one’s that only appeared in subsequent generations) 1 10/27/11 Mendel’s Procedure n Began by cross-pollinating between pure breeding lines with alternative traits—yellow/green, smooth/dented n Found that all members of the F1 generation exhibited the dominant traits n Allowed members of the F1 generation to self-pollinate, generating the F2 generation n And analyzed the numbers exhibiting the dominant and recessive traits F2 Generation Created from Hybrids Form of seed Round / Wrinkled 5474 1850 2.96:1 Color of albumin Yellow / Green 6022 2001 3.01:1 Color of seed coat Violet flowers / 705 224 3.15:1 White flowers Form of pods Inflated / 822 299 2.95:1 Constricted Color of unripe Green / yellow 428 152 2.81:1 pods Position of Axial / terminal 651 207 3.14:1 flowers Length of stem Long / short
    [Show full text]
  • Passing Traits to Offspring
    Science Enhanced Scope and Sequence – Life Science Passing Traits to Offspring Strand Heredity and Genetics Topic Investigating how genes are passed from parent to offspring Primary SOL LS.12 The student will investigate and understand that organisms reproduce and transmit genetic information to new generations. Key concepts include c) genotypes and phenotypes; d) characteristics that can and cannot be inherited; e) genetic engineering and its applications; and f) historical contributions and significance of discoveries related to genetics. Related SOL LS.1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and conducting investigations in which d) models and simulations are constructed and used to illustrate and explain phenomena; i) patterns are identified in data and are interpreted and evaluated. Background Information Parents pass characteristics such as hair color, nose shape, and skin color to their offspring. Not all of the parents’ characteristics will appear in the offspring, but the characteristics that are more liKely to appear can be predicted. Such predictions are based on the worK of Gregor Mendel. The transmission of characteristics from parents to offspring is called heredity, and the characteristics that are inherited can be predicted. Reginald Punnett contributed much to the science of genetics when he designed a method of predicting traits as he was studying poultry genetics. The Punnett square, originally called the checKerboard or chessboard method, is a diagram that is used to predict the outcome of all possible offspring that could result from crossing the genes of two parents. DNA technology allows researchers to produce offspring with specific characteristics or abilities.
    [Show full text]
  • A Century of Geneticists Mutation to Medicine a Century of Geneticists Mutation to Medicine
    A Century of Geneticists Mutation to Medicine http://taylorandfrancis.com A Century of Geneticists Mutation to Medicine Krishna Dronamraju CRC Press Taylor & Francis Group 6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300 Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742 © 2019 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business No claim to original U.S. Government works Printed on acid-free paper International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-4987-4866-7 (Paperback) International Standard Book Number-13: 978-1-138-35313-8 (Hardback) This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher cannot assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged please write and let us know so we may rectify in any future reprint. Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, trans- mitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copyright .com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Context of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Theory a Reference Organism Has No Genetic Properties
    Radioprotection of the environment: On the context of biodiversity and evolutionary theory A reference organism has no genetic properties Björn Cedervalla,b,* aDepartment of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Division of Radiology and Medical Radiation Physics, Department of Oncology and Pathology, Box 260, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. bNuclear Power Safety, Vattenfall Power Consultant AB, SE-162 16 Stockholm, Sweden. Abstract. The recent efforts to define a basis for radioprotection of the environment include some concepts and ideas related to various endpoints which need a clarification. This paper focuses on the biodiversity concept and the context of individuals of a species as well as that of the species as a gene pool. A major problem with the ambition to radioprotect biodiversity is the concept “reference organism” which has no genetic properties and therefore is in contradiction with a real biological species. Biodiversity and the species (gene pool) concept are, just as any other areas of biology, integral parts of evolutionary theory. With the reference organism as a basis no meaningful reasoning can take place which relates data on radioactivity levels or mutations to potential effects on populations or biodiversity. It is therefore suggested that the national and international bodies involved in radioprotection of the environment take advantage of evolutionary theory as a reference frame. KEYWORDS: Radioprotection; biodiversity; evolution; mutation; reference organism; philosophy. 1. Introduction The recent efforts to define a basis for radioprotection of the environment (Pentreath [1] and others) include some concepts related to endpoints which need a clarification. One such concept is biodiversity which has been mentioned in a number of publications and during presentations at related meetings1.
    [Show full text]
  • What Was Fisher's Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection And
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE ARTICLE IN PRESS provided by PhilSci Archive Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences Stud. Hist. Phil. Biol. & Biomed. Sci. 37 (2006) 59–82 www.elsevier.com/locate/shpsc What was Fisher’s fundamental theorem of natural selection and what was it for? Anya Plutynski Department of Philosophy, University of Utah, 260 South Central Campus Drive, Orson Spencer Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA Received 29 March 2004; received in revised form 27 June 2005 Abstract Fisher’s ‘fundamental theorem of natural selection’ is notoriously abstract, and, no less notori- ously, many take it to be false. In this paper, I explicate the theorem, examine the role that it played in Fisher’s general project for biology, and analyze why it was so very fundamental for Fisher. I defend Ewens (1989) and Lessard (1997) in the view that the theorem is in fact a true theorem if, as Fisher claimed, ‘the terms employed’ are ‘used strictly as defined’ (1930, p. 38). Finally, I explain the role that projects such as Fisher’s play in the progress of scientific inquiry. Ó 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Keywords: Fundamental theorem; Natural selection; Average effect; Average excess; Genetic variance; Malthu- sian parameter 1. Introduction No practical biologist interested in sexual reproduction would be led to work out the detailed consequences experienced by organisms having three or more sexes; yet what else should he do if he wishes to understand why the sexes are, in fact, always two? The ordinary mathematical procedure in dealing with any actual problem is, after abstracting what are believed to be the essential elements of the problem, to consider it as one of a system of possibilities infinitely wider than the actual, the E-mail address: [email protected] (A.
    [Show full text]