The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection
Encyclopedia
The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection is a book by R.A. Fisher first published in 1930 by Clarendon. It is one of the most important books of the modern evolutionary synthesis
and is commonly cited in biology books.
edition (ISBN 0-19-850440-3), with the original 1930 text, annotated with the 1958 alterations, notes and alterations accidentally omitted from the second edition was published, edited by Henry Bennett
.
distinct from that of evolution
, and that the then-recent advances in the field of genetics
(see history of genetics
) now allowed this. In the first chapter, Fisher considers the nature of inheritance, rejecting blending inheritance
in favour of particulate inheritance. The second chapter introduces Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection
. The third considers the evolution of dominance
, which Fisher believed was strongly influenced by modifiers. The last five chapters (8-12) include Fisher's more idiosyncratic views on eugenics
.
, Fisher's friend, correspondent and son of Charles Darwin
, "In gratitude for the encouragement, given to the author, during the last fifteen years, by discussing many of the problems dealt with in this book".
gave an account of the writing and reception of Fisher's Genetical Theory.
Sewall Wright
, who had many disagreements with Fisher, reviewed the book and wrote that it was "certain to take rank as one of the major contributions to the theory of evolution". J.B.S. Haldane described it as "brilliant". Reginald Punnett
was negative, however.'
The Genetical Theory was largely overlooked for 40 years, and in particular the fundamental theorem
was misunderstood. The work had a great effect on W.D. Hamilton, who discovered it as an undergraduate at Cambridge and noted on the rear cover of the 1999 variorum edition:
The publication of the variorum edition in 1999 led to renewed interest in the work and reviews by Laurence Cook ("This is perhaps the most important book on evolutionary genetics ever written"), Brian Charlesworth
, Jim Crow
and A.W.F. Edwards
Modern evolutionary synthesis
The modern evolutionary synthesis is a union of ideas from several biological specialties which provides a widely accepted account of evolution...
and is commonly cited in biology books.
Editions
A second, slightly revised edition was republished in 1958. In 1999, a third variorumVariorum
A variorum is a work that collates all known variants of a text. It is a work of textual criticism, whereby all variations and emendations are set side by side so that a reader can track how textual decisions have been made in the preparation of a text for publication...
edition (ISBN 0-19-850440-3), with the original 1930 text, annotated with the 1958 alterations, notes and alterations accidentally omitted from the second edition was published, edited by Henry Bennett
Henry Bennett
Henry Bennett may refer to:*Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington , English statesman*Henry Bennett , U.S. Representative from New York...
.
Chapters
It contains the following chapters:- The Nature of Inheritance
- The Fundamental Theorem of Natural Selection
- The Evolution of Dominance
- Variation as determined by Mutation and Selection
- Variation etc
- Sexual Reproduction and Sexual Selection
- Mimicry
- Man and Society
- The Inheritance of Human Fertility
- Reproduction in Relation to Social Class
- Social Selection of Fertility
- Conditions of Permanent Civilization
Contents
In the preface, Fisher considers some general points, including that there must be an understanding of natural selectionNatural selection
Natural selection is the nonrandom process by which biologic traits become either more or less common in a population as a function of differential reproduction of their bearers. It is a key mechanism of evolution....
distinct from that of evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
, and that the then-recent advances in the field of genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
(see history of genetics
History of genetics
The history of genetics started with the work of the Augustinian friar Gregor Johann Mendel. His work on pea plants, published in 1866, described what came to be known as Mendelian Inheritance...
) now allowed this. In the first chapter, Fisher considers the nature of inheritance, rejecting blending inheritance
Blending inheritance
Many biologists and other academics held to the idea of blending inheritance during the 19th century, prior to the discovery of genetics. Blending inheritance was merely a widespread hypothetical model, rather than a formalized scientific theory , in...
in favour of particulate inheritance. The second chapter introduces Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection
Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection
In population genetics, R. A. Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection was originally stated as:Or, in more modern terminology:- History :...
. The third considers the evolution of dominance
Evolution of dominance
The evolution of dominance concerns the evolution of genetic dominance. The central argument, that modifier genes act upon other genes to make them dominant or recessive, and that these are then themselves subject to natural selection was first proposed by the British population geneticist Ronald...
, which Fisher believed was strongly influenced by modifiers. The last five chapters (8-12) include Fisher's more idiosyncratic views on eugenics
Eugenics
Eugenics is the "applied science or the bio-social movement which advocates the use of practices aimed at improving the genetic composition of a population", usually referring to human populations. The origins of the concept of eugenics began with certain interpretations of Mendelian inheritance,...
.
Dedication
The book is dedicated to Major Leonard DarwinLeonard Darwin
Major Leonard Darwin , a son of the English naturalist Charles Darwin, was variously a soldier, politician, economist, eugenicist and mentor of the statistician and evolutionary biologist Ronald Fisher.- Biography :...
, Fisher's friend, correspondent and son of Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
, "In gratitude for the encouragement, given to the author, during the last fifteen years, by discussing many of the problems dealt with in this book".
Reviews
Henry BennettHenry Bennett
Henry Bennett may refer to:*Henry Bennet, 1st Earl of Arlington , English statesman*Henry Bennett , U.S. Representative from New York...
gave an account of the writing and reception of Fisher's Genetical Theory.
Sewall Wright
Sewall Wright
Sewall Green Wright was an American geneticist known for his influential work on evolutionary theory and also for his work on path analysis. With R. A. Fisher and J.B.S. Haldane, he was a founder of theoretical population genetics. He is the discoverer of the inbreeding coefficient and of...
, who had many disagreements with Fisher, reviewed the book and wrote that it was "certain to take rank as one of the major contributions to the theory of evolution". J.B.S. Haldane described it as "brilliant". Reginald Punnett
Reginald Punnett
Professor Reginald Crundall Punnett FRS was a British geneticist who co-founded, with William Bateson, the Journal of Genetics in 1910. Punnett is probably best remembered today as the creator of the Punnett square, a tool still used by biologists to predict the probability of possible genotypes...
was negative, however.'
The Genetical Theory was largely overlooked for 40 years, and in particular the fundamental theorem
Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection
In population genetics, R. A. Fisher's fundamental theorem of natural selection was originally stated as:Or, in more modern terminology:- History :...
was misunderstood. The work had a great effect on W.D. Hamilton, who discovered it as an undergraduate at Cambridge and noted on the rear cover of the 1999 variorum edition:
- This is a book which, as a studentStudentA student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
, I weighed as of equal importance to the entire rest of my undergraduate CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeThe University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
BABachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
course and, through the time I spent on it, I think it notched down my degree. Most chapters took me weeks, some months. - ...And little modified even by molecular genetics, Fisher's logic and ideas still underpin most of the ever broadening paths by which Darwinism continues its invasion of human thought.
- Unlike in 1958, natural selection has become part of the syllabus of our intellectual life and the topic is certainly included in every decent course in biology.
- For a book that I rate only second in importance in evolution theory to Darwin's Origin (this as joined with its supplement Of Man), and also rate as undoubtedly one of the greatest books of the twentieth century the appearance of a variorum edition is a major event...
- By the time of my ultimate graduation, will I have understood all that is true in this book and will I get a First? I doubt it. In some ways some of us have overtaken Fisher; in many, however, this brilliant, daring man is still far in front.
The publication of the variorum edition in 1999 led to renewed interest in the work and reviews by Laurence Cook ("This is perhaps the most important book on evolutionary genetics ever written"), Brian Charlesworth
Brian Charlesworth
Professor Brian Charlesworth FRS is a British evolutionary biologist at the University of Edinburgh, and editor of Biology Letters....
, Jim Crow
James F. Crow
James F. Crow is Professor Emeritus of Genetics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.Some of his most significant peer-reviewed contributions were coauthored with Motoo Kimura. His major contribution to the field, however, is arguably his teaching...
and A.W.F. Edwards
External links
- Full text of 1930 edition, Open LibraryOpen LibraryOpen Library is an online project intended to create “one web page for every book ever published”. Open Library is a project of the non-profit Internet Archive and has been funded in part by a grant from the California State Library and the Kahle/Austin Foundation.-Books for the blind and...