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Designed calibration: Naturally selected flexibility, not non-genetic inheritance

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 December 2007

Thomas E. Dickins  and
Benjamin J. A. Dickins
Thomas E. Dickins
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, University of East London, London E15 4LZ, United Kingdomt.dickins@uel.ac.uk Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science, London School of Economics, London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom
Benjamin J. A. Dickins
Affiliation:
505 Wartik Laboratory, University Park, Penn State University, State College, PA 16802. ben@bx.psu.eduhttp://www.bendickins.com
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Abstract

Jablonka & Lamb (J&L) have presented a number of different possible mechanisms for finessing design. The extra-genetic nature of these mechanisms has led them to challenge orthodox neo-Darwinian views. However, these mechanisms are for calibration and have been designed by natural selection. As such, they add detail to our knowledge, but neo-Darwinism is sufficiently resourced to account for them.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 30 , Issue 4 , August 2007 , pp. 368 - 369
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2007

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References

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Jablonka, E. & Lamb, M. J. (2005) Evolution in four dimensions: Genetic, epigenetic, behavioral, and symbolic variation in the history of life. MIT Press.Google Scholar