Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-v2bm5 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-11T04:00:46.580Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Evolvability, Dispositions, and Intrinsicality

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Alan C. Love
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In this paper I examine a dispositional property that has been receiving increased attention in biology, evolvability. First, I identify three compatible but distinct investigative approaches, distinguish two interpretations of evolvability, and treat the difference between dispositions of individuals versus populations. Second, I explore the relevance of philosophical distinctions about dispositions for evolvability, isolating the assumption that dispositions are intrinsically located. I conclude that some instances of evolvability cannot be understood as purely intrinsic to populations and suggest alternative strategies for resolving this difficulty.

Type
Genes, Development, and Evolution
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 70 , Issue 5: Proceedings of the 2002 Biennial Meeting of The Philosophy of Science Association. Part I: Contributed Papers , December 2003 , pp. 1015 - 1027
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

‡

Jim Bogen, Ingo Brigandt, Paul Griffiths, Jim Lennox, Sandy Mitchell, and Günter Wagner provided helpful criticism and suggestions on earlier drafts of this paper. I would also like to thank the participants of the first annual conference on Recent Work in Biology and Philosophy at Duke University in June 2002, where a version of this paper was presented, and those attending the “Genes, Development, and Evolution” session at PSA for useful comments. Special thanks to Butch Brodie for directing me to the literature on coevolution.

References

Altenberg, Lee (1994), “The Evolution of Evolvability in Genetic Programming”, in Kinnear, J. Kenneth E. (ed.), Advances in Genetic Programming. Cambridge, MA: The M.I.T. Press, A Bradford Book, 47–74.Google Scholar
Bird, Alexander (1998), “Dispositions and Antidotes”, Dispositions and Antidotes 48:227–234.Google Scholar
Brandon, Robert N. (1990), Adaptation and Environment. Princeton: Princeton University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brookfield, J. F. Y. (2001), “Evolution: The Evolvability Enigma”, Evolution: The Evolvability Enigma 11:R106–R108.Google ScholarPubMed
Burch, Christina L., and Chao, Lin (2000), “Evolvability of an RNA Virus Is Determined by Its Mutational Neighbourhood”, Evolvability of an RNA Virus Is Determined by Its Mutational Neighbourhood 406:625–628.Google ScholarPubMed
Cartwright, Nancy (1992), “Aristotelian Natures and the Modern Experimental Method”, in Earman, J. (ed.), Inference, Explanation, and other Frustrations: Essays in the Philosophy of Science. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 44–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crane, Tim (1996), “Introduction”, in Crane, T. (ed.), Dispositions: A Debate. London and New York: Routledge, 1–11.Google Scholar
Dawkins, Richard (1989), “The Evolution of Evolvability”, in Langton, C. G. (ed.), Artificial Life: Synthesis and Simulation of Living Systems. Redwood City, CA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 201–220.Google Scholar
Endler, John A. (1986), Natural Selection in the Wild. Princeton: Princeton University Press.Google Scholar
Gerhart, John, and Kirschner, Marc (1997), Cells, Embryos, and Evolution. Malden, MA: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Gilinsky, Norman L., and Good, I.J. (1991), “Probabilities of Origination, Persistence, and Extinction of Families of Marine Invertebrate Life”, Probabilities of Origination, Persistence, and Extinction of Families of Marine Invertebrate Life 17:145–166.Google Scholar
Hoffman, Ary A., and Parsons, Peter A. (1997), Extreme Environmental Change and Evolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Houle, David (1992), “Comparing Evolvability and Variability of Quantitative Traits”, Comparing Evolvability and Variability of Quantitative Traits 130:195–204.Google ScholarPubMed
Jablonski, David (1987), “Heritability at the Species Level: Analysis of Geographic Ranges of Cretaceous Mollusks”, Heritability at the Species Level: Analysis of Geographic Ranges of Cretaceous Mollusks 238:360–363.Google Scholar
Kirschner, Marc, and Gerhart, John (1998), “Evolvability”, Evolvability 95:8420–8427.Google ScholarPubMed
Lewis, David K. (1997), “Finkish Dispositions”, Finkish Dispositions 47:143–158.Google Scholar
Li, Liming, and Lindquist, Susan L. (2000), “Creating a Protein-Based Element of Inheritance”, Creating a Protein-Based Element of Inheritance 287:661–664.Google ScholarPubMed
Machamer, Peter, Darden, Lindley, and Craver, Carl F. (2000), “Thinking About Mechanisms”, Thinking About Mechanisms 67:1–25.Google Scholar
Mackie, J. L. ([1977] 1978), “Dispositions, Grounds, and Causes”, in Tuomela, R. (ed.), Dispositions. Dordrecht, Holland: D. Reidel Publishing, 99–107.Google Scholar
Martin, C. B. (1994), “Dispositions and Conditionals”, Dispositions and Conditionals 44:1–8.Google Scholar
McShea, Daniel W. (1998), “Possible Largest-Scale Trends in Organismal Evolution: Eight ‘Live Hypotheses’”, Possible Largest-Scale Trends in Organismal Evolution: Eight ‘Live Hypotheses’ 29:293–318.Google Scholar
Mellor, D. Hugh (2000), “The Semantics and Ontology of Dispositions”, The Semantics and Ontology of Dispositions 109:757–780.Google Scholar
Prior, Elizabeth, Pargetter, Robert, and Jackson, Frank (1982), “Three Theses about Dispositions”, Three Theses about Dispositions 19:251–257.Google Scholar
Radman, Miroslav, Matic, Ivan, and Taddei, François (1999), “Evolution of Evolvability”, Evolution of Evolvability 870:146–155.Google ScholarPubMed
Raff, Rudolf A. (1996), The Shape of Life: Genes, Development, and the Evolution of Animal Form. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rosenberg, Alexander (1984), “Mackie and Shoemaker on Dispositions and Properties”, in French, P. A., Uehling, T. E. Jr. and Wettstein, H. K. (eds.), Midwest Studies in Philosophy, Volume 9. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 77–91.Google Scholar
Rutherford, Suzanne L., and Lindquist, Susan L. (1998), “Hsp90 as a Capacitor for Morphological Evolution”, Hsp90 as a Capacitor for Morphological Evolution 396:336–342.Google ScholarPubMed
Smith, A. D. (1977), “Dispositional Properties”, Dispositional Properties 86:439–445.Google Scholar
Sober, Elliott, and Wilson, David Sloan (1998), Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.Google Scholar
Sterelny, Kim (2001), “Niche Construction, Developmental Systems, and the Extended Replicator”, in Oyama, S., Griffiths, P. E. and Gray, R. D. (eds.) Cycles of Contingency. Cambridge: M.I.T. Press, 333–349.Google Scholar
Thompson, John N. (1994), The Coevolutionary Process. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
True, Heather L., and Lindquist, Susan L. (2000), “A Yeast Prion Provides a Mechanism for Genetic Variation and Phenotypic Diversity”, A Yeast Prion Provides a Mechanism for Genetic Variation and Phenotypic Diversity 407:477–483.Google ScholarPubMed
Van Dongen, Stefan, and Lens, L. (2000), “The Evolutionary Potential of Developmental Instability”, The Evolutionary Potential of Developmental Instability 13:326–335.Google Scholar
Von Dassow, George, and Munro, Ed (1999), “Modularity in Animal Development and Evolution: Elements of a Conceptual Framework for EvoDevo”, Modularity in Animal Development and Evolution: Elements of a Conceptual Framework for EvoDevo 285:307–325.Google ScholarPubMed
Wagner, Günter, and Altenberg, Lee (1996), “Perspective: Complex Adaptations and the Evolution of Evolvability”, Perspective: Complex Adaptations and the Evolution of Evolvability 50:967–976.Google ScholarPubMed
Wagner, Günter, Chiu, Chi-Hua, and Hansen, Thomas F. (1999), “Is Hsp90 a Regulator of Evolvability?” Journal of Experimental Zoology (Mol Dev Evol) 285:116–118.3.0.CO;2-P>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weber, Marcel (1996), “Fitness Made Physical: The Supervenience of Biological Concepts Revisited”, Fitness Made Physical: The Supervenience of Biological Concepts Revisited 63:411–431.Google Scholar
Winther, Rasmus G. (2001), “Varieties of Modules: Kinds, Levels, Origins, and Behaviors”, Varieties of Modules: Kinds, Levels, Origins, and Behaviors 291:116–129.Google ScholarPubMed
Yang, Andrew S. (2001), “Modularity, Evolvability, and Adaptive Radiations: A Comparison of the Hemi- and Holometabolous Insects”, Modularity, Evolvability, and Adaptive Radiations: A Comparison of the Hemi- and Holometabolous Insects 3:59–72.Google ScholarPubMed