Revisiting the eclipse of Darwinism

The article sums up a number of points made by the author concerning the response to Darwinism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and repeats the claim that a proper understanding of the theorys impact must take account of the extent to which what are now regarded as the key aspects of Darwins thinking were evaded by his immediate followers. Potential challenges to this position are described and responded to.     

The formal Darwinism project: a mid-term report

For 8 years I have been pursuing in print an ambitious and at times highly technical programme of work, the 'Formal Darwinism Project', whose essence is to underpin and formalize the fitness optimization ideas used by behavioural ecologists, using a new kind of argument linking the mathematics of motion and the mathematics of optimization. The value of the project is to give stronger support to current practices, and at the same time sharpening theoretical ideas and suggesting principled resolutions of some untidy areas, for example, how to define fitness. The aim is also to unify existing free-standing theoretical structures, such as inclusive fitness theory, Evolutionary Stable Strategy (ESS) theory and bet-hedging theory. The 40-year-old misunderstanding over the meaning of fitness optimization between mathematicians and biologists is explained. Most of the elements required for a general theory have now been implemented, but not together in the same framework, and 'general time' remains to be developed and integrated with the other elements to produce a final unified theory of neo-Darwinian natural selection.     

Similarities and Varieties: A Brief Sketch on the Reception of Darwinism and Sociobiology in Japan

This paper discusses the reception of Darwinian evolutionary theory and sociobiology in Japan. Darwinism was introduced into Japan in the late 19th century and Japanese people readily accepted the concept of evolution because, lacking Christianity, there was no religious opposition. However, the theory of evolution was treated as a kind of social scientific tool, i.e., social Spencerism and eugenics. Although evolutionary biology was developed during the late 19th and the early 20th century, orthodox Darwinian theory was neglected for a long time. In the mid 1980s, sociobiology was introduced but it was ignored and criticized by a large part of the ecologist-evolutionist community in Japan. This hostile attitude was due to the absence of Darwinism among these scientists. Compared with the reception of sociobiology in English-speaking countries, there were both similarities and differences in Japan.     

双纹须歧角螟的生物学及防治

双纹须歧角螟Trichophysetis cretacea Butler茉莉花的重要害虫之一。对它的生物学特性、生活史以及防治进行了研究。该虫在广西南宁年发生14代,幼虫有4个龄期,完成1个世代需14～22d,其中产卵前期2～3d,卵期2～4d,幼虫期5～10d,蛹期5～8d。世代重叠,发生高峰期在6～9月。采用综合防治方法,其中包括使用阿维菌素系列农药效果较好。     

旱柳广头叶蝉的生物学特性及防治

报道了危害白榆的新害虫——旱柳广头叶蝉Macropsis matsudanisCaietWei。首次记述其幼期形态特征、生物学特性、天敌种类,进行了防治试验。该虫在山东商河1年发生1代,以卵在白榆枝条内越冬;天敌主要有螯蜂、瓢虫等;用阿维菌素和吡虫啉5000倍液喷雾防治若虫具有很好的防治效果。     

Behavioral and neural Darwinism: Selectionist function and mechanism in adaptive behavior dynamics

An evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics and a theory of neuronal group selection share a common selectionist framework. The theory of behavior dynamics instantiates abstractly the idea that behavior is selected by its consequences. It implements Darwinian principles of selection, reproduction, and mutation to generate adaptive behavior in virtual organisms. The behavior generated by the theory has been shown to be quantitatively indistinguishable from that of live organisms. The theory of neuronal group selection suggests a mechanism whereby the abstract principles of the evolutionary theory may be implemented in the nervous systems of biological organisms. According to this theory, groups of neurons subserving behavior may be selected by synaptic modifications that occur when the consequences of behavior activate value systems in the brain. Together, these theories constitute a framework for a comprehensive account of adaptive behavior that extends from brain function to the behavior of whole organisms in quantitative detail.     

The synthetic theory of evolution: general problems and the German contribution to the synthesis

Summary A metatheoretical and historiographical re-analysis of the Evolutionary Synthesis (the process) and the Synthetic Theory (the result) leads to the following conclusion: The Synthetic Theory is not a reductionistic, but rather a structuralistic theory with a limited range of relevant hierarchical levels. Historically the Synthesis was not a sudden event but a rational long-term project carried out between 1930 and 1950 by a large number of biologists in several countries. In the second part of our paper the contributions of several German biologists to the Synthesis are analyzed.     

云龟履硕蚧的生物学及其自然种群生命表

云龟履硕蚧Perissopneumonxyliae (Ayyar)主要分布于云南玉溪、曲靖、楚雄等地 (州 )的板栗产区 ,是板栗的主要害虫之一。该虫在云南易门每年发生 1代 ,幼虫有 3龄 ,以 3龄若虫在树皮缝隙或树干基部越冬。高温、雨水冲刷、瓢虫捕食、紫胶白虫Eublemmaamabilis捕食和白蜡虫花翅跳小蜂Microterysericeri寄生是其主要的自然控制因子     

Moral Darwinism: Ethical evidence for the descent of man

Could an ethical theory ever play a substantial evidential role in a scientific argument for an empirical hypothesis? InThe Descent of Man, Darwin includes an extended discussion of the nature of human morality, and the ethical theory which he sketches is not simply developed as an interesting ramification of his theory of evolution, but is used as a key part of his evidence for human descent from animal ancestors. Darwin must rebut the argument that, because of our moral nature, humans are essentially different in kind from other animals and so had to have had a different origin. I trace his causal story of how the moral sense could develop out of social instincts by evolutionary mechanisms of group selection, and show that the form of Utilitarianism he proposes involves a radical reduction of the standard of value to the concept of biological fitness. I argue that this causal analysis, although a weakness from a normative standpoint, is a strength when judged for its intended purpose as part of an evidential argument to confirm the hypothesis of human descent.     

沿海榆毡蚧的生物学特性及防治

园林重要害虫沿海榆毡蚧Eriococcus costatus(Danzig)在山西太谷1年发生1代,以2龄若虫及预蛹越冬。雌虫经卵、1龄若虫、2龄若虫、成虫完成生活史。雄虫则经卵、1龄若虫、2龄若虫、预蛹、冬前蛹(无翅型)、无翅雄成虫和部分若虫到冬后化蛹(有翅型)、有翅雄成虫,完成其生活史。影响该虫种群动态的主要生态因子包括温度、湿度、食料、天敌等,其中湿度在初孵若虫期是最主要的影响因子。4月上中旬为该虫的最佳防治时期,杀虫剂宜采用内吸性、触杀型的,且脂溶性效果较好。     

泡桐网蝽的发生规律及防治

泡桐网蝽Eteoneus anuglatus Darkeet Maa在湖南宁远、冷水滩等县区1年发生5～6代,以成虫在树枝缝隙及枯草丛、土缝等处群集越冬。8～9月高温干燥时发生严重。人工饲养及田间观察,该虫仅在毛泡桐(Paulownia tomentosa(Thunb) Steud)、泡桐(Paulownia fortunei(Seem) Hems)及榆树(Ulmus pumila L.)上取食为害,以3～7年树龄泡桐受害最重。在成虫和若虫高峰期用40%氧化乐果,50%敌敌畏乳油1200～1500倍或2.5%溴氰菊脂乳油2500倍稀释液喷洒叶面,可控制该虫为害。     

危害西瓜幼苗的韭菜迟眼蕈蚊的生物学特性及防治

韭菜迟眼蕈蚊Bradysia odoriphaga Yanget Zhang危害西瓜早春红玉幼苗的现象尚未见报道。观察记录韭菜迟眼蕈蚊以瓜类植物饲养的发育历期并进行田间药剂防治试验。结果表明:瓜类植物饲养条件下的韭菜迟眼蕈蚊幼虫发育历期与已报道的以韭菜饲养条件下的发育历期基本一致,50%灭蝇胺可湿性粉剂和10%吡虫啉可湿性粉剂1500倍防治韭菜迟眼蕈蚊效果较好,保苗率达97%。     

油松叶小卷蛾的生物学特性及防治研究

油松叶小卷蛾在河北省围场县培内危害油松较严重,本文对该虫的生物学特性进行了观察,并对其防治方法进行了初步研究。该虫１年１代,以卵在当年生针叶内侧凹槽内越冬。在幼虫６０％进入３龄时用烟雾机施放高效氯氰菊脂乳油烟雾,防治效果可达９０％以上;用同样方法在成虫羽化高峰期防治１次,杀虫率可达９９％以上。     

Reply to My Critics: A Response to Reviews of Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution

In Darwin's Black Box: The BiochemicalChallenge to Evolution I argued thatpurposeful intelligent design, rather thanDarwinian natural selection, better explainssome aspects of the complexity that modernscience has discovered at the molecularfoundation of life. In the five years since itspublication the book has been widely discussedand has received considerable criticism. Here Irespond to what I deem to be the mostfundamental objections. In the first part ofthe article I address empirical criticismsbased on experimental studies alleging eitherthat biochemical systems I discussed are notirreducibly complex or that similar systemshave been demonstrated to be able to evolve byDarwinian processes. In the remainder of thearticle I address methodological concerns,including whether a claim of intelligent designis falsifiable and whether intelligent designis a permissible scientific conclusion.     

Capturing the superorganism: a formal theory of group adaptation

Adaptation is conventionally regarded as occurring at the level of the individual organism. However, in recent years there has been a revival of interest in the possibility for group adaptations and superorganisms. Here, we provide the first formal theory of group adaptation. In particular: (1) we clarify the distinction between group selection and group adaptation, framing the former in terms of gene frequency change and the latter in terms of optimization; (2) we capture the superorganism in the form of a ‘group as maximizing agent’ analogy that links an optimization program to a model of a group‐structured population; (3) we demonstrate that between‐group selection can lead to group adaptation, but only in rather special circumstances; (4) we provide formal support for the view that between‐group selection is the best definition for ‘group selection’; and (5) we reveal that mechanisms of conflict resolution such as policing cannot be regarded as group adaptations.     

损坏敦煌莫高窟壁画的害虫——仿爱夜蛾的生活习性与防治研究

本文记述了仿爱夜蛾的生存环境、形态特征、生活史及习性 ,分析了其对敦煌莫高窟壁画的严重危害 ,提出了以营林、物理机械、生物、化学等为主的综合防治手段 ,并为深入研究该虫排泄物对石窟颜料、地仗成分产生的影响提出了新思路     

Naturalists, Molecular Biologists, and the Challenges of Molecular Evolution

Biologists and historians often present natural history and molecular biology as distinct, perhaps conflicting, fields in biological research. Such accounts, although supported by abundant evidence, overlook important areas of overlap between these areas. Focusing upon examples drawn particularly from systematics and molecular evolution, I argue that naturalists and molecular biologists often share questions, methods, and forms of explanation. Acknowledging these interdisciplinary efforts provides a more balanced account of the development of biology during the post-World War II era. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The effects of selection,drift and genetic variation on life‐history trait divergence among insular populations of natterjack toad,Bufo calamita

Although loss of genetic variation is frequently assumed to be associated with loss of adaptive potential, only few studies have examined adaptation in populations with little genetic variation. On the Swedish west coast, the northern fringe populations of the natterjack toad Bufo calamita inhabit an atypical habitat consisting of offshore rock islands. There are strong among‐population differences in the amount of neutral genetic variation, making this system suitable for studies on mechanisms of trait divergence along a gradient of within‐population genetic variation. In this study, we examined the mechanisms of population divergence using Q_ST–F_ST comparisons and correlations between quantitative and neutral genetic variation. Our results suggest drift or weak stabilizing selection across the six populations included in this study, as indicated by low Q_ST–F_ST values, lack of significant population × temperature interactions and lack of significant differences among the islands in breeding pond size. The six populations included in this study differed in both neutral and quantitative genetic variation. Also, the correlations between neutral and quantitative genetic variation tended to be positive, however, the relatively small number of populations prevents any strong conclusions based on these correlations. Contrary to the majority of Q_ST–F_ST comparisons, our results suggest drift or weak stabilizing selection across the examined populations. Furthermore, the low heritability of fitness‐related traits may limit evolutionary responses in some of the populations.