History of the Selectionist/Neutralist Debate in Evolutionary Biology

自20世纪30年代初S以来，自然界进化机制中确定性和随机性过程之间的关系一直是现代进化生物学的一个基本特征。Sewall Wright和R.A.Fisher关于进化机制的观点之间的紧张关系在形成进化生物学的许多理论和实地工作中发挥了极其重要的作用。这种紧张主要源于他们对确定性选择和随机遗传漂移的相对作用的不同解释。自1950年以来，人们对选择主义和中立主义解释之间的紧张关系的主要兴趣集中在以下几个方面的争论：1)恩斯特·迈尔的创始人效应和物种形成的遗传革命概念，2)以牛津生态遗传学为代表的在表型水平上对微观进化的选择主义解释，以及3)木村的中性分子进化理论。根据这笔拨款，普罗文教授将详细研究这场辩论中处于两端的两个主要学派：牛津生态遗传学学院和木村的中性分子进化理论。第一种代表了对自然界进化的一种深度选择(即决定论)解释，而第二种则是一种非常中立(即随机)的解释。普罗文教授还将通过集中讨论恩斯特·迈尔概念的争论，来考察自然选择和随机漂移思想之间相互作用的历史。最后，这项研究将追踪试图综合中立主义和选择主义解释的兴起，无论是微观进化还是宏观进化。这项研究极大地增强了我们对科学理论如何发展，如何与竞争对手互动，以及如何最终在选择对自然现象最可行的解释的科学过程中演变的理解。因此，这项研究将有助于科学史和科学哲学以及对当代进化论思想的理解。

The relationship between deterministic and random processes in the mechanisms of evolution in nature has been a fundamental feature of modern evolutionary biology since the early 1930's. The tension between Sewall Wright's and R. A. Fisher's views of mechanisms of evolution has been extremely important in shaping much of the theoretical and field work in evolutionary biology. This tension stems basically from their differing interpretations of the relative roles of deterministic selection and random genetic drift. In the period since 1950, the primary foci of interest in the tension between selectionist and neutralist interpretations have been in the controversies surrounding: 1) Ernst Mayr's concepts of founder effect and genetic revolution in speciation, 2) the selectionist interpretation of microevolution at the phenotypic level, represented by the Oxford School of ecological genetics, and 3) Motoo Kimura's neutral theory of molecular evolution. Under this grant, Professor Provine will examine in detail the two major schools at opposite ends of the spectrum in this debate: the Oxford School of ecological genetics and Motoo Kimura's neutral theory of molecular evolution. The first represents a deeply selectionist (i.e. deterministic) interpretation of evolution in nature and the second a deeply neutralist (i.e. random) interpretation. Professor Provine will also examine the history of the interplay between ideas about natural selection and random drift by focussing upon the controversy over Ernst Mayr's concepts. Finally, the study will trace the rise of attempts to synthesize neutralist and selectionist interpretations, in regard to both microevolution and macroevolution. This study promises greatly to enhance our understanding of how scientific theories develop, interact with their competitors, and finally themselves evolve in the scientific process of selection of the most viable explanation for natural phenomena. Thus the study will contribute to the history and philosophy of science as well as to the understanding of contemporary evolutionary thought.