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Extended Evolutionary Synthesis: A review of the latest scientific research
By Lynn Chiu
Department of Evolutionary Biology
University of Vienna
This review—intended for curious readers, reporters, researchers, and teachers—is a road map to navigate rapidly moving terrain. To understand the direction of emerging research today, we need to ask: What happened to evolutionary biology during the 20th century and what did it leave out? Why is the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis seeking a more inclusive approach to evolutionary theorizing? And finally, what does a comprehensive evolutionary theory look like?
The review proceeds in three parts: examining the genetic turn of evolutionary theory since Darwin (Part 1); sampling multiple, independent calls for an alternative outlook (Part 2); and finally, taking a close look at the emerging structure and outcomes of an Extended Evolutionary Synthesis research program (Part 3).
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But, to the extent that Darwinism is all-sufficient, the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis, pioneered by Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge attempts to solve a problem that doesn’t — in theory — exist … But, if it DOES exist…