Dagg, Joachim (2016) On Recognising the Paradox of Sex. Philosophy and Theory in Biology, 8. ISSN 1949-0739

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Abstract

George C. Williams and John Maynard Smith arrived at slightly different conclusions about the evolutionary maintenance of sexual reproduction, despite that both were staunch neo-Darwinians, simply because they approached the problem from different angles (life history vs. population genetics). This difference between their perspectives made them notice the so-called paradox of sexual reproduction for the first time. That is, Williams and Maynard Smith used their difference in perspective constructively, in order to raise a problem that had previously been overlooked by ‘monocular’ views. Evidence from before, during and after the recognition of the paradox supports this thesis of constructive difference. First, Maynard Smith had diagnosed the individual cost of sexual reproduction in full detail by 1958, but nobody raised an eyebrow for a decade. Second, both the correspondence between Williams and Maynard Smith and their publications show that they saw the same problem but against different backgrounds, because they viewed it from different perspectives. Third, further differences between Williams and Maynard Smith concerning the evolution of sex make no sense except in the light of the initial difference in their perspectives.

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Item Type:	Published Article or Volume
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Dagg, Joachim jdagg@gmx.de
Keywords:	cost of males, cost of meiosis, cost of sex, group selection, life-history theory, maintenance of recombination, maintenance of sex, population genetics
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory
Depositing User:	Nora Boyd
Date Deposited:	03 Jul 2016 16:46
Last Modified:	03 Jul 2016 16:46
Item ID:	12255
Journal or Publication Title:	Philosophy and Theory in Biology
Publisher:	Michigan Publishing, University of Michigan Library
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.3998/ptb.6959004.0008.003
DOI or Unique Handle:	10.3998/ptb.6959004.0008.003
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Biology > Evolutionary Theory
Date:	2016
Volume:	8
ISSN:	1949-0739
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/12255

Available Versions of this Item

• The parallactic recognition of an evolutionary paradox. (deposited 07 Jan 2016 13:22)
  • On Recognising the Paradox of Sex. (deposited 03 Jul 2016 16:46) [Currently Displayed]

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