1. The extended evolutionary synthesis and human origins: Archaeological perspectives
- Author
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John K. Murray, Michael J. O'Brien, and Robert Acio Benitez
- Subjects
Modern evolutionary synthesis ,media_common.quotation_subject ,03 medical and health sciences ,Extension (metaphysics) ,Selection (linguistics) ,Animals ,Humans ,0601 history and archaeology ,Sociology ,Ecosystem ,030304 developmental biology ,Skepticism ,media_common ,0303 health sciences ,060101 anthropology ,Inheritance (genetic algorithm) ,Hominidae ,06 humanities and the arts ,General Medicine ,Biological Evolution ,Epistemology ,Niche construction ,Archaeology ,Anthropology ,Paleoanthropology ,Standard theory - Abstract
Recent developments in evolutionary biology have led to a call for an extension of standard evolutionary theory, with its emphasis on processes such as selection and drift, into a much larger theoretical framework that includes processes such as niche construction, developmental plasticity, inclusive inheritance, and developmental bias. Skeptics argue that these processes are already subsumed within the standard theory and thus an extension is not required. Here, we outline what this evolutionary "rethink" might mean for the study of human origins. Specifically, can paleoanthropologists benefit from an extended theoretical toolkit? The papers in this special issue suggest it can be useful but may not be necessary, depending on the kinds of questions that are being asked.
- Published
- 2020