This document outlines the history and development of evolutionary theory over time. It discusses: 1) Early evolutionary theory from Darwin which was missing a theory of heredity. Neo-Darwinism added rejection of Lamarckism but also lacked a theory of heredity. 2) The Modern Synthesis of the early 20th century which combined Mendelian genetics with population genetics and natural selection, establishing the major tenets of evolution. 3) Current discussions around potentially extending evolutionary theory to incorporate additional factors like development, non-gradual evolution, and other units of selection beyond genes. The view from Altenberg conference discussed issues like these and potential directions for evolutionary theory going forward.

1. evolutionary theory:
the view from altenberg
by Massimo Pigliucci

4. Evolutionary Theory 1.0:
Darwinism
Common descent
Natural selection
Missing a theory of heredity
(after having flirted with Lamarckism
and blending inheritance)

5. Evolutionary Theory 1.1:
neo-Darwinism
Rejection of Lamarckism
Separation of soma and germ
Wallace Weissman
Still missing a theory of heredity...

6. Evolutionary Theory 2.0:
the beginning of the Modern Synthesis
Fisher Haldane Wright
Compatibility between Mendelism
and statistical genetics
Theories of selection and random
drift: birth of population genetics

7. Evolutionary Theory 2.1:
the mature Modern Synthesis
Variation in natural populations
Species concepts, speciation processes
Compatibility of gradualism with paleontology
Applicability of Darwinism to variety of mating
and genetic systems in plants
Dobzhansky Huxley Mayr Simpson Stebbins

8. “The major tenets of the evolutionary synthesis were that populations
contain genetic variation that arises by random mutation and
recombination; that populations evolve by changes in gene frequency
brought about by random genetic drift, gene flow, and especially natural
selection; that most adaptive genetic variants have individually slight
phenotypic effects so that phenotypic changes are gradual; that
diversification comes about by speciation, which normally entails the
gradual evolution of reproductive isolation among populations; and that
these processes, continued for sufficiently long, give rise to changes of such
great magnitude as to warrant the designation of higher taxonomic levels.”
Doug Futuyma

9. Do we need Evolutionary Theory 3.0?
Toward an Extended Synthesis
“[the Modern Synthesis] is strictly a theory of genes,
yet the phenomenon that has to be explained in
evolution is that of the transmutation of form.”
(Karl Popper)

10. How do we factor in development?
Is evolution always gradual?
Is selection the only organizing principle?
What are the targets of selection?
Is there a discontinuity between micro- and
macro-evolution?
Is the question of inheritance settled?
Where do evolutionary novelties come from?
Oh, and what about ecology?

11. The view from Altenberg:
taking evo-bio seriously as a historical science,
the role of contingency
John Beatty

12. The view from Altenberg:
multi-level selection theory
is here to stay
!z = cov (W, Z) + E cov (w, z)
(Price 1972)
David S. Wilson
collective particle
level level

13. The view from Altenberg:
epigenetic and other inheritances
Eva Jablonka
Genetic
Epigenetic (methylation, iRNA,
histone conformation)
Behavioral (mimicking)
Cultural (traditions, “memes”)
Eors Szathmary

14. The view from Altenberg: innovation, facilitated
variation and the role of physico-chemistry
Gerd Muller Marc Kirschner Stuart Newman

15. Is this a paradigm shift?
Thomas Kuhn

16. Agency: Where natural selection acts (so-called
“units of selection problem”).
Efficacy: The relative power of natural selection in
comparison to other evolutionary mechanisms.
Scope: The degree to which natural selection can
be extrapolated to macroevolutionary processes.

17. paleonto
An (extended) synthesis of what?
evo-devo
genomics,
natural networks theory
history complexity
epigenetic theory
Mendelism common
inheritance
descent
population- plasticity &
natural accommodation
statistical
selection
genetics multilevel contingency
paleontology selection theory
niche
construction
evolvability &
ecology
modularity

18. www.platofootnote.org