Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2025
08:42
Assessment of Social Cognition in Non-human Primates Using a Network of Computerized Automated Learning Device ALDM Test Systems
Published on: May 5, 2015
12.1K
Biology in the 21st century: Natural selection is cognitive selection
William B Miller1, František Baluška2, Arthur S Reber3
1Bioverse Foundation, Paradise Valley, AZ, USA.
Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology
|May 13, 2024
Summary
Natural selection, traditionally viewed as driven by random mutation, is reframed as cognitive selection. This 21st-century perspective re-evaluates evolution
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Genetics
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Conventional Neo-Darwinism posits random genetic mutations as the primary source of variation for natural selection.
- Natural selection was historically considered the main driver of evolution, favoring traits for survival and reproduction.
- The 21st century introduces Cognition-Based Evolution as an alternative framework to Neo-Darwinian principles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively reappraise the concept of natural selection in light of new evolutionary frameworks.
- To propose 'cognitive selection' as a more precise term for evolutionary processes in 21st-century biology.
- To challenge the traditional Neo-Darwinian view of evolution.
Main Methods:
- Revision of Crick's Central Dogma to align with modern evolutionary concepts.
- Comparative analysis of Neo-Darwinism and Cognition-Based Evolution.
- Conceptual redefinition of natural selection based on cognitive principles.
Main Results:
- Cognition-Based Evolution offers a significant alternative to Neo-Darwinian dogma.
- A revised understanding of evolutionary drivers beyond random mutation is presented.
- The term 'cognitive selection' is proposed as a more accurate descriptor.
Conclusions:
- Natural selection should be understood as a cognitive process, reflecting the organism's interaction with its environment.
- Cognition is fundamental to life's origin and evolution.
- The concept of natural selection requires redefinition for contemporary biological understanding.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Natural Selection and Adaptation
201
Natural selection, a fundamental concept in evolutionary biology, is the mechanism by which evolution is driven, favoring organisms that are best adapted to their environments. This process enhances their chances of survival and reproduction. Adaptation, a key outcome of this process, involves genetic modifications that optimize an organism's functionality under specific environmental challenges, such as extreme cold or thinner air at high altitudes.
Beyond physical adaptations,...
Beyond physical adaptations,...
201
01:32What is Natural Selection?
115.1K
Natural selection is an evolutionary process in which individuals with survival-promoting traits reproduce at higher rates. These favorable traits become more common within a population or species. Naturally selected traits initially arise via random genetic mutations. In order for selection to occur, there must be variation within a population, the trait controlling the variation must be heritable, and there must be an evolutionary advantage for variation in the trait.
115.1K
01:20Evolutionary Psychology
262
Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...
262
01:06Natural Selection and Mating Preferences
101
The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
101
01:46Types of Selection
40.4K
Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...
40.4K
01:38Limits to Natural Selection
31.2K
Organisms that are well-adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. However, natural selection does not lead to perfectly adapted organisms. Several factors constrain natural selection.
31.2K