[SydPhil] MQ Philosophy Seminar on Tuesday the 11th of October: Kate Lynch (MQ)

[Adam Hochman]

The Baldwin Effect and the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis

Kate Lynch (MQ)

Date: Tuesday, 11th of October
Time: 13:00 - 14:00
Venue: W6A 107, Macquarie University

ABSTRACT: The Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES) is an alternative conceptual framework that has recently emerged in evolutionary biology. It aims to provide an updated account of biological evolution which goes beyond the selection of random mutations, by describing how development, plasticity, alternative inheritance systems, and constructed niches contribute to changes in phenotypic and genotypic variation across time. While still controversial, the group of ideas encompassed by the synthesis are gaining increasing attention and empirical support. The Baldwin Effect (1896) describes the effect that learnt and inherited behaviours can have on the direction and rate of evolution. Although the effect does not violate the 'Weismann barrier' (whereby hereditary information moves from genes to cells, and never in reverse), it at first glance appears Lamarkian. Perhaps because of this it is an idea that has been widely neglected by biologists. Revisiting the Baldwin Effect in light of the EES may provide a more palatable and acceptable version of the idea, which can be used to frame experimental investigations and analysis.

Contact: Adam Hochman (adam.hochman at mq.edu.au<mailto:adam.hochman at mq.edu.au>) or Mike Olson (michael.olson at mq.edu.au<mailto:michael.olson at mq.edu.au>)

A google calendar with details of other events in this series is available for viewing and subscription by following this link: https://goo.gl/56sotM


---

Adam Hochman
Macquarie University Research Fellow

Department of Philosophy | W6A, Room 733
Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia

Staff Profile | http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/faculties_and_departments/faculty_of_arts/department_of_philosophy/staff/adam_hochman/

Personal Website | adamhochman.com

Academia.edu Page | https://mq.academia.edu/AdamHochman

Philpapers Page | http://philpapers.org/profile/48626

T: +61 2 9850 8859<tel:%2B61%202%209850%206895>  |  arts.mq.edu.au<http://arts.mq.edu.au/><http://arts.mq.edu.au/><http://mq.edu.au/>

[Macquarie University]<http://mq.edu.au/>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.sydney.edu.au/pipermail/sydphil/attachments/20161007/89ffc87e/attachment-0001.html>