Abstract
This book is about claims that the Modern Synthesis requires an extension. In this chapter, I outline the approach taken to inspecting this position and give a brief overview of the reasons some have come to argue for an extension. In doing this, I introduce core elements of the argument to come, including the distinction between theories of population and of form and the concept of information. Population-level theories are those of Darwinism and the Modern Synthesis, which distinctly removed transformational arguments of the sort associated with Lamarck. Information has been recruited by many theorists, but its use has been colloquial, and this has led to problematic interpretations. It is a plea for the proper use of information that is at the heart of this book, and in this chapter, I signal its importance. This chapter, and this book, do not exhaustively inspect all aspects of the argument for the extension, but predominantly focus upon claims made from development. This choice has been made to demonstrate the kind of thinking at play on both sides of the debate.
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For example, the Devonian would be surprised to find some, but not enough, Yellowhammers (Emberiza citrinella) in Essex that hang on due to available winter seed and some remnant hedgerow for nesting (Bradbury and Stoate 2000).
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Dickins, T.E. (2021). Introduction. In: The Modern Synthesis. Evolutionary Biology – New Perspectives on Its Development, vol 4. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-86422-4_1
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