Mother Nature's tolerant ways: why non-genetic inheritance has nothing to do with evolution
Article
Dickins, T. and Dickins, B. 2008. Mother Nature's tolerant ways: why non-genetic inheritance has nothing to do with evolution. New Ideas in Psychology. 26 (1), pp. 41-54. https://doi.org/10.101/j.newideapsych.2007.03.004
Type | Article |
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Title | Mother Nature's tolerant ways: why non-genetic inheritance has nothing to do with evolution |
Authors | Dickins, T. and Dickins, B. |
Abstract | Recently a number of theorists have suggested that evolution can use non-genetic or environmental inheritance to pass on adaptations (e.g. Mameli, 2004). Furthermore, it has been suggested that non-genetic, or environmental factors, can play a central role in the process of evolution that is not captured by the neo-Darwinian view which places natural selection centre-stage (e.g. Odling-Smee, Laland & Feldman, 2003). In this paper we present and clarify neo-Darwinian theory and then take issue with the notions of contemporary gene-centred selection and inheritance that non-genetic inheritance theorists have used. We claim that they have misunderstood the distinction and relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic inheritance and we clarify this with a number of examples from the behavioural and biological sciences. According to this analysis there is no such thing as biologically independent non-genetic inheritance, all extrinsic inheritance is a consequence of traits and dispositions that are intrinsic to an organism and intrinsic design can only be explained through neo-Darwinism. We point to the implications this view has for current conceptions of cultural evolution. |
Research Group | Behavioural Biology group |
Journal | New Ideas in Psychology |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 19 Feb 2013 |
Output status | Published |
Accepted author manuscript | License |
Additional information | Citation: Dickins, Thomas E & Dickins, Benjamin J.A. (2008) Mother nature's tolerant ways: Why non-genetic inheritance has nothing to do with evolution. New Ideas in Psychology 26 (1) 41-54. |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.101/j.newideapsych.2007.03.004 |
Language | English |
https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/83vz4
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