The modern theory of biological evolution: an expanded synthesis

Die Naturwissenschaften
Ulrich Kutschera, Karl J Niklas

Abstract

In 1858, two naturalists, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, independently proposed natural selection as the basic mechanism responsible for the origin of new phenotypic variants and, ultimately, new species. A large body of evidence for this hypothesis was published in Darwin's Origin of Species one year later, the appearance of which provoked other leading scientists like August Weismann to adopt and amplify Darwin's perspective. Weismann's neo-Darwinian theory of evolution was further elaborated, most notably in a series of books by Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ernst Mayr, Julian Huxley and others. In this article we first summarize the history of life on Earth and provide recent evidence demonstrating that Darwin's dilemma (the apparent missing Precambrian record of life) has been resolved. Next, the historical development and structure of the "modern synthesis" is described within the context of the following topics: paleobiology and rates of evolution, mass extinctions and species selection, macroevolution and punctuated equilibrium, sexual reproduction and recombination, sexual selection and altruism, endosymbiosis and eukaryotic cell evolution, evolutionary developmental biology, phenotypic plasticity, epigenetic inher...Continue Reading

Citations

Jun 21, 2005·Die Naturwissenschaften·U Kutschera, V Koopmann
Jan 12, 2007·Die Naturwissenschaften·Volker Salewski, Bruno Bruderer
Apr 5, 2007·Die Naturwissenschaften·U KutscheraM Hornschuh
Sep 18, 2009·Die Naturwissenschaften·Hartmut Follmann, Carol Brownson
Sep 19, 2009·Die Naturwissenschaften·Ulrich Kutschera, Karl J Niklas
Sep 29, 2009·Die Naturwissenschaften·Simon Conway Morris
Aug 16, 2008·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·Georgy S LevitUwe Hossfeld
Feb 26, 2009·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·Alan C Love
Apr 29, 2009·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·U Kutschera
Oct 21, 2009·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·Georgy S Levit, Uwe Hossfeld
Dec 10, 2009·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·T Hoppe, U Kutschera
Nov 26, 2011·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·Georgy S Levit, Uwe Hossfeld
Aug 29, 2013·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·Ulrich Kutschera, Uwe Hossfeld
Aug 29, 2013·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·Ulrich Kutschera, Karl J Niklas
Sep 12, 2013·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·Georgy S Levit, Sergey V Polatayko
Sep 21, 2012·Folia Microbiologica·František GolaisJana Vítkovská
Oct 19, 2006·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·U Kutschera, K J Niklas
Oct 19, 2006·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·I PfeifferU Kutschera
Apr 7, 2007·Theory in Biosciences = Theorie in Den Biowissenschaften·U Kutschera, K J Niklas
May 10, 2005·Hormones and Behavior·J F Cockrem
Aug 28, 2012·Astrobiology·Janet L SiefertGabriela Olmedo-Alvarez
May 2, 2012·Journal of Experimental Botany·Ulrich Kutschera, Zhi-Yong Wang
Jul 26, 2011·Zhurnal evoliutsionnoĭ biokhimii i fiziologii·V V Menshutkin, Iu V Natochin
Jan 18, 2012·Journal of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology·Natalie C FonvilleDavid Mittelman
Mar 16, 2007·Virology Journal·Philip Serwer
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Oct 2, 2007·Journal of Plant Physiology·U Kutschera, K J Niklas
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Nov 23, 2011·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·Mark Vincent
Mar 30, 2011·The Plant Journal : for Cell and Molecular Biology·Leïla Tirichine, Chris Bowler
Jun 23, 2010·Molecular Nutrition & Food Research·Alexander Ströhle, Frank Döring
Oct 30, 2009·The New Phytologist·Karl J Niklas, Ulrich Kutschera
Jun 26, 2014·Journal of Fish Biology·B Jonsson, N Jonsson
Aug 22, 2014·BioEssays : News and Reviews in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology·Karl J NiklasUlrich Kutschera
Jan 12, 2010·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Mark D Vincent
Apr 14, 2010·Journal of Advanced Nursing·Carol A Haigh
Jun 11, 2011·Acta Orthopaedica·Darja Obradovic Wagner, Per Aspenberg
Jun 28, 2015·Bio Systems·Daniel HerediaMáximo Sandín
Mar 1, 2007·Plant Signaling & Behavior·Ulrich Kutschera
Mar 14, 2013·Mobile Genetic Elements·Janet L Siefert

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