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Related Experiment Videos

Adaptationism--how to carry out an exaptationist program.

Paul W Andrews1, Steven W Gangestad, Dan Matthews

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA. (pandrews; sgangest; danda)@unm.edu

The Behavioral and Brain Sciences
|July 26, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Adaptationism explanations require rigorous evidence, not just hypotheses. Evaluating alternative evolutionary concepts like exaptation, spandrel, and constraint is crucial for scientific validity.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Paleontology
  • Human Behavior and Cognition

Background:

  • Adaptationism is a strategy to identify evolutionary adaptations and their selective pressures.
  • Critics like Gould and Lewontin argue adaptationist explanations lack sufficient empirical evidence.
  • Alternative hypotheses such as constraint, spandrel, and exaptation are often overlooked.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To discuss appropriate standards of evidence for identifying adaptations.
  • To explore the role of alternative hypotheses in evolutionary studies.
  • To demonstrate how to build empirical cases for exaptation, spandrel, or constraint.

Main Methods:

  • Reviewing evidentiary standards for adaptation identification.
  • Analyzing criticisms of adaptationism, particularly regarding human behavior.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Illustrating concepts with examples from human behavior and cognition.

    • Main Results:

    • Adaptationist hypotheses must be systematically tested and rejected to support alternatives.
    • Appropriate evidentiary standards are necessary for identifying true adaptations.
    • Empirical cases for exaptation, spandrel, or constraint require ruling out adaptationist explanations.

    Conclusions:

    • Rigorous testing of adaptationist hypotheses is essential for advancing evolutionary understanding.
    • Considering and testing alternative evolutionary mechanisms strengthens scientific inquiry.
    • This approach is vital for accurately explaining complex traits, especially in human evolution.