Regarding the confusion between the population concept and Mayr's "population thinking"

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Philosophy of Science

Background:

• Ernst Mayr highlighted Darwin's shift from typological to population thinking.
• Population thinking emphasizes individual variation, contrasting with focus on a representative type.

Purpose of the Study:

• Clarify the distinction between Mayr's "population thinking" and the biological concept of a "population."
• Address terminological confusion impacting biologists studying natural populations.

Main Methods:

• Historical analysis of Darwin's influence on evolutionary thought.
• Examination of Francis Galton's statistical contributions to the concept of "population."
• Review of geneticists' and biometricians' modifications of the term "population."

Main Results:

• Both "population thinking" and "biological population" concepts stem from Darwin.
• Francis Galton's statistical "population" usage influenced Mayr's "population thinking."
• The biological definition of a population as an interbreeding, evolving entity contrasts with "population thinking's" focus on variation.

Conclusions:

• Mayr's "population thinking" focuses on variation within groups, not the group as a biological entity.
• Despite shared origins, "population thinking" and the concept of a biological population are distinct and can cause confusion.
• Mayr's emphasis on variation within populations may have obscured the need to clarify these differing concepts.