Conceptions of Biological Evolution and an Approach to Phylogeny-Ontogeny

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Both the history of theories and the comparison of the contents of theories with observables show the close association between phylogeny and ontogeny, via theories of evolution and development which focus on different time scales and rely on different modes of verification: descriptive phylogeny, evolutionary mechanisms, descriptive and causal embryology, and general theories of development. No general theory of development can explain all observables, and theories of evolution are still insufficient. Each approach thus makes implicit reference to a specific representation of living beings, in part extrascientific, which ensures the coherence of the linking of phylogeny-ontogeny. It is possible to pass from a theory of phylogeny to its ontogenetic correspondent. The synthetic theory of evolution and the theory of the phenocopy are analyzed according to these premises. These approaches lead to a criticism of the theories by evaluating the reciprocal role of verification criteria and extrascientific pressures.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: