Part of the synthesis...

Kenelm Philip fnkwp at aurora.alaska.edu
Mon Sep 6 03:03:10 EDT 1999



	I recently spent some time looking through Mark Ridley's (1993)
text 'Evolution'--and found something interesting in the light of several
postings to this conference.

	Ridley dicusses both concerted evolution/molecular drive, and
Croizat's panbiogeography--and clearly regards them as a valid part of
the current picture of neo-Darwinism. So advocates of these ideas don't
need to regard themselves as holding minority viewpoints (or, if they do,
they have the author of a highly-respected text on their side).

	With regard to molecular drive, Ridley makes two points: 1) con-
certed evolution (on the molecular scale) and genetic drift both play
roles in _evolution_, and 2) in his estimation _adaptation_ arises through
natural selection--not through those mechanisms.

	Referring to Croizat, Ridley mentions work that upholds vicariance
and other work that upholds dispersion, and concludes that both ideas
are useful, and will apply to different cases. A balanced presentation,
no doubt unsatisfactory to strong advocates on either side.  :-)

	So these 'minority' ideas were accepted 6 years ago as part of
the synthesis of modern evolution by at least one author.

							Ken Philip
fnkwp at uaf.edu




More information about the Leps-l mailing list