Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-s2hrs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-03T05:37:18.523Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Designed calibration: Naturally selected flexibility, not non-genetic inheritance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2007

Thomas E. Dickins  and
Benjamin J. A. Dickins
Thomas E. Dickins
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of East London, London E15 4LZ, United [email protected] Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science, London School of Economics, London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom
Benjamin J. A. Dickins
Affiliation:
505 Wartik Laboratory, University Park, Penn State University, State College, PA 16802. [email protected]://www.bendickins.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Jablonka & Lamb (J&L) have presented a number of different possible mechanisms for finessing design. The extra-genetic nature of these mechanisms has led them to challenge orthodox neo-Darwinian views. However, these mechanisms are for calibration and have been designed by natural selection. As such, they add detail to our knowledge, but neo-Darwinism is sufficiently resourced to account for them.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 30 , Issue 4 , August 2007 , pp. 368 - 369
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brisson, D. (2003) The directed mutation controversy in an evolutionary context. Critical Reviews in Microbiology 29(1):25–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gallistel, C. R. (1999) The replacement of general-purpose learning models with adaptively specialized learning modules. The cognitive neurosciences, ed. Gazzaniga, M., pp. 1179–91. MIT Press.Google Scholar
Jablonka, E. & Lamb, M. J. (2005) Evolution in four dimensions: Genetic, epigenetic, behavioral, and symbolic variation in the history of life. MIT Press.Google Scholar