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Animal Behavior, Population Biology and the Modern Synthesis (1955–1985)

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Abstract

This paper examines the history of animal behavior studies after the synthesis period. Three episodes are considered: the adoption of the theory of natural selection, the mathematization of ideas, and the spread of molecular methods in behavior studies. In these three episodes, students of behavior adopted practices and standards developed in population ecology and population genetics. While they borrowed tools and methods from these fields, they made distinct uses (inclusive fitness method, evolutionary theory of games, emphasis on individual selection) that set them relatively apart and led them to contribute, in their own way, to evolutionary theory. These episodes also highlight some limitations of “conjunction narratives” centered on the relation between a discipline and the modern synthesis. A trend in conjunction narratives is to interpret any development related to evolution in a discipline as an “extension,” an “integration,” or as a “delayed” synthesis. I here suggest that this can lead to underestimate discontinuities in the history of evolutionary biology.

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Notes

  1. Erika Milam has discussed these issues at greater length in a case study comparing the research of G. K. Noble and Lester Aronson at the American Museum of Natural History from 1928 to 1954. “In terms of theoretical framework, the contrast of Noble and Aronsons’ research reveals a trend away from uncovering the evolution of behavior, toward understanding the process of evolutionary change. To Noble in the 1930s, behavior was a biological trait shaped by evolution; Aronson’s research group, on the other hand, investigated behavior as a mechanism of evolution… Whereas Noble incorporated evolution into an animal behavior framework, Aronson incorporated animal behavior into an evolutionary framework. These shifts reflected biologists’ changing convictions on how to best study evolution” (2009, p. 172).

  2. According to Jurgen Haffer, about half of Mayr’s PhD students did their dissertations on behavior rather than in evolution or systematics (see Haffer 2007, p. 127, and Milam 2010a, for a review of evolutionary studies of mating behavior during the Synthesis period).

  3. Mentioning Lehrman’s criticisms against Lorenz in a letter to the ecologist George Evelyn Hutchinson, Mayr made a parallel between the field of behavior with that of evolution: “I am alternately amused and annoyed by the juvenile absurdities of many representatives of this field, particularly in this country. As in all ‘new’ fields there is a widespread attitude that one theory explains everything and that if you can find a single flaw in the writings of one of the representatives of this field that theory and in fact anything that this representative of the field has said is completely refuted… This behavior is strikingly similar to the behavior of early evolutionists… It took some 75 years of, in retrospect silly, arguments before the modern synthetic theory of evolution could become integrated. How long will it take before the silly arguments of the current students of animal behavior will lead to an equally valid synthesized and integrated theory of animal behavior?” (Mayr to Hutchinson, 5 March 1954, GEHP). For archival abbreviations and sources throughout the article, see the References.

  4. See the commemorative articles and critical discussions of Dewsbury (1992), Bateson and Laland (2013), Nesse (2013) and Strassmann (2014). An account of Tinbergen’s four questions, how they have circulated, been eclipsed and put to use by students of animal behavior since 1963 would certainly tell much about the history of integrative agendas in behavior studies.

  5. As he made clear to Crook, “we cannot work primarily on behaviour in view of Dr Tinbergen’s group, and though both he and I are interested in the inter-relations between ecology and behaviour, it is quite clear that we should have to be primarily ecological in this sort of inter-relation” (Lack to Crook, 14 Nov 1963, JHCP, DM 1814.3.1).

  6. The reaction of behavior experts and ethologists was generally favorable to Wilson’s book. The journal Animal Behaviour organized a 20 page-long “multiple review” by major behavior experts. It gives a good overview of the reception of the book in this field (Animal Behaviour, 1976, 24(3): 698–718). As cogent are the letters received by Wilson from a large number of behavior students in the climax of the sociobiology controversy. For example, Hinde, who had advised on some chapters, wrote two letters of support to Wilson. “I am really incredibly impressed by Sociobiology…I am amazed at what you have managed to comprehend with such precision” (Hinde to Wilson, 11 April 1975, EOWP). One year later: “I have tremendous admiration for your great achievement in producing Sociobiology—I really do mean it when I say that I think it will be a landmark in the history of behavior studies. The fact that I part company with you over some of the issues you raised in the introductory chapters is really quite unimportant” (Hinde to Wilson, 15th March 1976, EOWP). A few days later, Wilson received supportive comments from the grand man of American paleoanthropology, Sherwood Washburn: “Good luck and HURRAY FOR SOCIOBIOLOGY!” (Washburn to Wilson, 23 March 1976, EOWP).

  7. It is interesting to note that Crick’s first application of population genetics reasoning involved a concept developed by a behavioral ecologist, Richard Dawkins. In collaboration with Leslie Orgel, Crick used Dawkins’s concept of selfish gene to make sense of the behavior of transposable elements (Orgel and Crick 1980).

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by funding from the Coordenação de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Brasil) and by the John Templeton Foundation Grant #60501. Unpublished materials quoted in this text were accessed thanks to the kind help of the staffs of the American Philosophy of Science Library, the British Library, the University of Bristol Library, the Library of Congress, the Stony Brook University Libraries and the Yale University Library. Geoffrey Parker has kindly allowed me to quote from his correspondence. This paper has benefitted from numerous conversations with scientists and historians, and from substantial critical comments by Andrew Buskell, David Depew, Philippe Huneman, Tim Lewens, G.A. Parker, Anya Plutynski, Alexandre Tanase and two anonymous reviewers. Rebecca Kilner and John Welch made very encouraging suggestions. All are gratefully thanked.

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    Jean-Baptiste Grodwohl

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Archives and Abbreviations

Archives and Abbreviations

EOWP:

Edward Osborn Wilson Papers, MSS78062, Library of Congress, Washington, DC (USA)

GEHP:

George Evelyn Hutchinson Papers, MS 649, Yale University Library, New Haven (USA)

GCWP:

George Christopher Williams Papers, UA2155, Special Collections and University Archives, Stony Brook University Libraries, Stony Brook, NY (USA)

GGSP:

George Gaylord Simpson Papers, Mss.Ms.Coll.31, American Philosophical Society Library, Philadelphia (USA)

JHCP:

John Hurrell Crook Papers, DM. 1814, University of Bristol Library, Bristol (UK)

JMSP:

John Maynard Smith Papers, Add MS 86569-86840, British Library, London (UK)

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Grodwohl, JB. Animal Behavior, Population Biology and the Modern Synthesis (1955–1985). J Hist Biol 52, 597–633 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10739-018-9553-8

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