Natural selection according to Darwin: cause or effect?

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Genetics
• History of Science

Background:

• The 'modern synthesis' (1940s) posits genetic mutation and recombination as the source of variation, with natural selection acting as the primary driver of evolution.
• Recent biological perspectives challenge this, highlighting the role of phenotypic plasticity and agency in adaptation, suggesting natural selection is a consequence rather than a cause.

Observation:

• This paper re-examines Charles Darwin's use of the phrase 'vera causa' (true cause) in 'On the Origin of Species'.
• Historical consensus largely interprets 'Origin' as Darwin's attempt to establish natural selection as a 'vera causa' of adaptive change.
• Darwin's correspondence from early 1860 reveals his resistance to this interpretation, indicating a nuanced view of natural selection's causal role.

Findings:

• The evidence supporting the interpretation of 'Origin' as a proof of natural selection as a 'vera causa' is found to be insufficient.
• Darwin's resistance suggests that natural selection, an unobservable process, is logically dependent on observable phenomena like inheritance, variation, and the struggle for existence.

Implications:

• This challenges the traditional understanding of the modern synthesis and its interpretation of Darwinian evolution.
• It suggests a re-evaluation of the causal hierarchy in evolutionary processes, emphasizing the interplay between genotype, phenotype, and environment.
• The findings necessitate a revised historical and conceptual understanding of Darwin's foundational arguments in evolutionary theory.