The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biology

Detalhes bibliográficos
Autor(a) principal: Luque, Victor J.
Data de Publicação: 2021
Outros Autores: Baravalle, Lorenzo
Tipo de documento: Artigo
Idioma: eng
Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10451/49355
Resumo: Due to its high degree of complexity and its historical nature, evolutionary biol‐ ogy has been traditionally portrayed as a messy science. According to the supporters of such a view, evolutionary biology would be unable to formulate laws and robust theories, instead just delivering coherent narratives and local models. In this article, our aim is to challenge this view by showing how the Price equation can work as the core of a general theoretical framework for evolutionary phenomena. To support this claim, we outline some unnoticed structural similarities between physical theo‐ ries (in particular, classical mechanics) and evolutionary biology. More specifically, we shall argue that the Price equation, in the same way as fundamental formalisms in physics, can serve as a heuristic principle to formulate and systematise different theories and models in evolutionary biology.
id RCAP_b226c286a3028b0bf4a442c986046ff7
oai_identifier_str oai:repositorio.ul.pt:10451/49355
network_acronym_str RCAP
network_name_str Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
repository_id_str 7160
spelling The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biologyEvolutionary biologyPrice equationComplexityMetatheoretical structuralismGuiding principleClassical mechanicsDue to its high degree of complexity and its historical nature, evolutionary biol‐ ogy has been traditionally portrayed as a messy science. According to the supporters of such a view, evolutionary biology would be unable to formulate laws and robust theories, instead just delivering coherent narratives and local models. In this article, our aim is to challenge this view by showing how the Price equation can work as the core of a general theoretical framework for evolutionary phenomena. To support this claim, we outline some unnoticed structural similarities between physical theo‐ ries (in particular, classical mechanics) and evolutionary biology. More specifically, we shall argue that the Price equation, in the same way as fundamental formalisms in physics, can serve as a heuristic principle to formulate and systematise different theories and models in evolutionary biology.Repositório da Universidade de LisboaLuque, Victor J.Baravalle, Lorenzo2021-08-30T14:13:27Z20212021-01-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10451/49355eng10.1007/s11229-021-03339-6info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2023-11-08T16:53:02Zoai:repositorio.ul.pt:10451/49355Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-19T22:00:58.825332Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biology
title The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biology
spellingShingle The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biology
Luque, Victor J.
Evolutionary biology
Price equation
Complexity
Metatheoretical structuralism
Guiding principle
Classical mechanics
title_short The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biology
title_full The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biology
title_fullStr The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biology
title_full_unstemmed The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biology
title_sort The mirror of physics: on how the Price equation can unify evolutionary biology
author Luque, Victor J.
author_facet Luque, Victor J.
Baravalle, Lorenzo
author_role author
author2 Baravalle, Lorenzo
author2_role author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv Luque, Victor J.
Baravalle, Lorenzo
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv Evolutionary biology
Price equation
Complexity
Metatheoretical structuralism
Guiding principle
Classical mechanics
topic Evolutionary biology
Price equation
Complexity
Metatheoretical structuralism
Guiding principle
Classical mechanics
description Due to its high degree of complexity and its historical nature, evolutionary biol‐ ogy has been traditionally portrayed as a messy science. According to the supporters of such a view, evolutionary biology would be unable to formulate laws and robust theories, instead just delivering coherent narratives and local models. In this article, our aim is to challenge this view by showing how the Price equation can work as the core of a general theoretical framework for evolutionary phenomena. To support this claim, we outline some unnoticed structural similarities between physical theo‐ ries (in particular, classical mechanics) and evolutionary biology. More specifically, we shall argue that the Price equation, in the same way as fundamental formalisms in physics, can serve as a heuristic principle to formulate and systematise different theories and models in evolutionary biology.
publishDate 2021
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021-08-30T14:13:27Z
2021
2021-01-01T00:00:00Z
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10451/49355
url http://hdl.handle.net/10451/49355
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv eng
language eng
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv 10.1007/s11229-021-03339-6
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
instacron:RCAAP
instname_str Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
instacron_str RCAAP
institution RCAAP
reponame_str Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
collection Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
repository.name.fl_str_mv Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1799134557962764288

Registros relacionados