PhilSci Archive

Lineage population: A concept needed by an observer of nature?

Fuerst, John (2017) Lineage population: A concept needed by an observer of nature? [Preprint]

[img] Text
lineage population Feb252017.docx - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution.

Download (95kB)

Abstract

The genealogy-based classificatory programs of Kant and Darwin are briefly discussed for context. It is detailed how in biology there is no unambiguous term to reference infraspecific-level descent-based divisions. The term lineage population is introduced and defined for analytic purposes: a lineage population is one of a set of divisions of intrafertile organisms into which members are arranged by propinquity of descent. It is argued that the lineage population concept avoids the ambiguities associated with related biological and anthropological concepts and polysemes such as population, ethnicity, and race. Other terms and concepts, such as form, cline, cluster, geographic population, breeding population, genetic population, breed, species, subspecies, ancestry, geographic ancestry, biogeographic ancestry, ancestral population, ancestry population, natural division, and population lineage, are discussed in relation to this concept. It is concluded that the lineage population concept is a useful analytic tool which picks out, in line with the Kantian/Darwinian perspective, an interesting class of biological variation.


Export/Citation: EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL
Social Networking:
Share |

Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Fuerst, John0000-0003-1433-2869
Keywords: systematics, Kant, Darwin, lineage population, population, ethnicity, race, population lineage
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory
Specific Sciences > Biology > Systematics
General Issues > Philosophers of Science
Depositing User: John Fuerst
Date Deposited: 25 Feb 2017 16:13
Last Modified: 25 Feb 2017 16:13
Item ID: 12855
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory
Specific Sciences > Biology > Systematics
General Issues > Philosophers of Science
Date: 25 February 2017
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12855

Monthly Views for the past 3 years

Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years

Plum Analytics

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item