Formalizing the gene centered view of evolution
- 1 September 1999
- journal article
- Published by World Scientific Pub Co Pte Ltd in Advances in Complex Systems
- Vol. 2 (3) , 277-281
- https://doi.org/10.1142/s021952599900014x
Abstract
A historical dispute in the conceptual underpinnings of evolution is the validity of the gene centered view of evolution (Dawkins, 1989; Sober and Lewontin, 1982). We transcend this debate by formalizing the gene centered view as a dynamic version of the mean field approximation. This establishes the conditions under which it is applicable and when it is not. In particular, it breaks down for trait divergence which corresponds to symmetry breaking in evolving populations.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Artifact, Cause and Genic SelectionPhilosophy of Science, 1982