Hypotenuse's Full Review: Ernst and Provine, William B. Mayr - The Evolution...
After the 1859 publication of Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species a considerable span of time passed before an agreement could be reached concerning the methods of natural selection and variation. By the mid-to-late 1940’s a consensus, called the evolutionary synthesis, had been reached by many of the people involved. The narrative of what happened during those intervening years, the bringing together of such diverse ideas and the people behind them, is a fascinating story. It is, in fact, the story behind The Evolutionary Synthesis: Perspectives on the Unification of Biology.
At Princeton in 1947, representatives of the differing branches of biology declared their acceptance of this newly synthesized, integrated evolutionary theory. Huxley coined the term evolutionary synthesis during this time of debate and conflict. As William B. Provine who, along with Ernst Mayr, edited this fascinating book, wrote –
“Contrary to the view found in many textbooks that modern synthesis flowed easily from Darwin’s views once Mendelism was added to them, the conference proved conclusively that Mendelism and Darwinism were synthesized only with considerable difficulty.”
With some exceptions there were basically two camps of thought at this time. The geneticists and the naturalists-systematists, with all the preconceptions and misunderstandings of the period. Geneticists were all lumped in with the Mendelists, while many of the systematists were Lamarkians. The debate was fast and furious, each side with it’s very vocal supporters and detractors.
The Committee on the Recent History of Science and Technology of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences wished to preserve this debate for the historical record. What misconceptions were involved? How had they developed? And how were they resolved? Who contributed which ideas? What environments developed these ideas and how were they received?
The major objective of the conference was to record as much information as possible about any factors, scientific or otherwise, that had influenced the synthesis. The conference was recorded on tape and transcribed. In The Evolutionary Synthesis you will find most of the papers presented, plus the thoughts and feelings of many of the participants as represented by a questionnaire.
The Book
The book itself is divided into three parts with the addition of the original preface, a revised preface, both by Mayr, and a most interesting look at the biographical information of the conference participants toward the end.
Part One is further divided into sections consisting of the different perspectives from each discipline of biology. Genetics, cytology, embryology, systematics, botany, paleontology, and morphology all get their say on the formation of the synthesis. Each section written by prominent members of the profession, the content consists of outstanding essays by Ernst Mayr, C.D. Darlington, Alexander Weinstein, Stephen J. Gould, and William B. Provine. Stories and recollections of how the now common ideas were developed are tales of intense research, frustration, and enthusiasm, with a bit of serendipity thrown in on occasion.
The geographical differences in the formation of the synthesis are covered in Part Two. Ideas were assimilated with varying degrees of success in many different parts of the world. The atmospheres of England, Germany, and the United States were so very different than that of France, a difference that prevails until this day.
The essays on the Soviet Union were perhaps some of the most chilling accounts of that time. The ease at which work was interrupted, sometimes permanently, by time spent in concentration camps for political differences is ominously recounted. The measures some of the scientists had to take in order to preserve their work, and their lives, is horrifying. Horrifying both for the truth of the circumstances and for the knowledge that such suppression still exists in many parts of the world today.
Part Three looks at the final considerations of the evolutionary synthesis. How it occurred is followed by the consequences. Where are we now, and where do we go from here? A most interesting look at where biology is headed.
The biographical information about some of the conference participants, which concludes this book, is very timely indeed. Several of the attendees have died since the conference and a few were not able to present their thoughts in person. Recording the thoughts and deeds of these scientists will go a long way in establishing the facts surrounding the evolutionary scientists for future generations. Preserving this knowledge is most important, as Hampton L. Carson writes:
“This brief period in the history of science is especially interesting because it shows how advancing understanding tends to unify knowledge by the removal of the artificial walls that man erects as he fumbles along. In this case, the first wall to come down was the distinction between cytology and genetics. But even this new unified science, about which we were congratulating ourselves, was soon perceived to be walled off from evolutionary theory. That wall came down rather slowly and painfully. At this juncture we would do well to sharpen our perception to identify barriers as yet only dimly seen.”
My Thoughts
“The basic principle of Darwinism is as solid at the end of the twentieth century as it was in 1859, untouched by all the advances made by evolutionary biology and other branches of biology in the intervening years.” ~ Ernst Mayr
Knowing this fact is different from knowing the why of this fact. Exploring the history of the biological synthesis and watching as the men and women who brought about this synthesis worked together and separately is fascinating. So many diverse conditions led to our present understanding of evolution. I highly recommend The Evolutionary Synthesis as an absorbing record of this coming together of the minds of biology. Peering behind the scenes for this look at history has only increased my admiration for the people involved and for the obstacles they had to overcome in order to get us this far.
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