Abstract
The architects of punctuated equilibrium and species selection as well as more recent workers (Vrba) have narrowed the original formulation of species selection and made it dependent upon so-called emergent characters. One criticism of this narrow version is the dearth of emergent characters with a consequent diminution in the robustness of species selection as an important evolutionary process. We argue that monomorphic species characters may at times be the focus of selection and that under these circumstances selection at the organism level is by-passed due to the absence of critical variance. Selection therefore shifts to the species level where variability reemerges in a clade. The absence of critical variance among organisms prevents effect macroevolution from operating. If species-wide properties are important in macroevolutionary processes, as we contend, systematists should pay more attention to their elucidation.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barnosky, D.: 1987, ‘Punctuated Equilibrium and Phyletic Gradualism’, in H.H. Genoways (ed.),Current Mammology 1, 109–147.
Bock, W.J.: 1979, ‘The Synthetic Explanation of Macroevolutionary Change — A Reductionistic Approach.’Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. No. 13, pp. 20–69.
Bock, W.J.: 1986, ‘Species Concepts, Speciation, and Macroevolution’, in K. Iwatsuki, P.H. Raven and W.J. Bock (eds.),Modern Aspects of Species, University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo, pp. 31–57.
Brandon, R.N.: 1982, ‘The Levels of Selection’,Philosophy of Science Association 1, 315–322.
Brothers, D.J.: 1985, ‘Species Concepts, Speciation, and Higher Taxa’, in E.S. Vrba (ed.),Species and Speciation, pp. 35–42. Transvaal Museum Monograph No. 4, Transvaal Museum, Pretoria.
Carson, H.L.: 1975, ‘The Genetics of Speciation at the Diploid Level’,The American Naturalist 109, 83–92.
Cracraft, J.: 1982, ‘A Non-equilibrium Theory for the Rate-control of Speciation and Extinction and the Origin of Macroevolutionary Patterns’,Systematic Zoology 31, 348–365.
Cracraft, J.: 1985, ‘Species Selection, Macroevolutionary Analysis, and the “Hierarchical Theory” of Evolution’,Systematic Zoology 34, 222–229.
Damuth, J. and I.L. Heisler: 1988, ‘Alternative Formulations of Multilevel Selection’,Biology and Philosophy 3, 407–430.
Davis, J.I. and K.C. Nixon: 1992, ‘Populations, Genetic Variation, and the Delimination of Phylogenetic Species’,Systematic Biology 41, 421–435.
Eldredge, N.: 1989,Macroevolutionary Dynamics, McGraw-Hill Publ. Co., New York.
Eldredge, N. and S.J. Gould: 1972, ‘Punctuated Equilibria: An Alternative to Phyletic Gradualism’, in T.J.M. Schopf (ed.),Models in Paleobiology, Freeman, San Francisco.
Fox, L.R. and P.A. Morrow: 1981, ‘Specialization: Species Property or Local Phenomenon?’,Science 211, 887–893.
Gould, S.J.: 1982, ‘The Meaning of Punctuated Equilibrium and Its Role in Validating a Hierarchical Approach to Macroevolution’, in R. Milkman (ed.),Perspectives on Evolution, Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, MA.
Gould, S.J. and N. Eldredge: 1977, ‘Punctuated Equilibria: The Tempo and Mode of Evolution Reconsidered’,Paleobiology 3, 115–151.
Gross, A.: 1988, ‘Philosophy versus Science: The Species Debate and the Practice of Taxonomy’,Proceedings of the Philosophy of Science Association 1, 223–230.
Hansen, T.: 1978, ‘Larval Dispersal and Species Longevity in Lower Tertiary Gastropods’,Science 199, 885–887.
Kaufmann, S.A.: 1985, ‘New Questions in Genetics and Evolution’,Cladistics 1, 247–265.
Lloyd, E.A.: 1988,The Structure and Confirmation of Evolutionary Theory, Praeger (Greenwood Press).
Mayo, D.G. and N.L. Gilinsky: 1987, ‘Models of Group Selection’,Philosophy of Science 54, 515–538.
Nixon, K.C. and Q.D. Wheeler: 1990, ‘An Amplification of the Phylogenetic Species Concept’,Cladistics 6, 211–223.
Sober, E.: 1984,The Nature of Selection: Evolutionary Theory in Philosophical Focus, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.
Stanley, S.M.: 1975, ‘A Theory of Evolution Above the Species Level’,Proc. National Acad. Scie. USA 72, 646–650.
Vrba, E.S.: 1980, ‘Evolution, Species and Fossils: How Does Life Evolve?’,South African Journal of Science 76, 61–84.
Vrba, E.S.: 1983, ‘Macroevolutionary Trends: A New Perspective on the Roles of Adaptation and Incidental Effect’,Science 221, 387–389.
Vrba, E.S.: 1984, ‘What is Species Selection?’,Systematic Zoology 33, 318–328.
Vrba, E.S.: 1989, ‘Levels of Selection and Sorting with Special Reference to the Species Level’, in P.H. Harvey and L. Partridge (eds.),Oxford Surveys in Evolutionary Biology 6, 111–168.
Vrba, E.S. and S.J. Gould: 1986, ‘The hierarchical expansion of sorting and selection: sorting and selection cannot be equated’,Paleobiology 12, 217–228.
Vrba, E.S. and N. Eldredge: 1984, ‘Individuals, Hierarchies and Processes: Towards a More Complete Evolutionary Theory’,Paleobiology 10, 146–171.
Wynne-Edwards, V.C.: 1962,Animal Dispersion in Relation to Social Behavior, Hafner, NY.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stidd, B.M., Wade, D.L. Is species selection dependent upon emergent characters?. Biol Philos 10, 55–76 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00851987
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00851987