Comprehensive evaluation and study of man's theories and knowledge of genetical characteristics and the evolutionary processes.

In this study the relationship between functional morpholoy and evolutionary biology is analysed by confronting the main concepts in both disciplines.Rather than only discussing this connection theoretically, the analysis is carried out by introducing important practical and experimental studies, which use aspects from both disciplines. The mentioned investigations are methodologically analysed and the consequences for extensions of the relationship are worked out. It can be shown that both disciplines have a large domain of their own and also share a large (...) common ground. Many disagreements among evolutionary biologists can be reduced to differences in general philosophy (idealism vs. realism), selection of phenomenona (structure vs. function), definition of concepts (natural selection) and the position of the concept theory as an explaining factor (neutralists vs. selectionists, random variation, determinate selection, etc.). (shrink)

The present edition provides a detailed and accessible discussion ofhis theories and adds an account of the immediate responses to the book on publication.

Certain lines of reasoning common in evolutionary taxonomy have been termed viciously circular. They are quite obviously not logically circular. They do give the superficial appearance of epistemological circularity. This appearance arises from the method of successive approximation used by evolutionary taxonomists. It is argued that this method is not epistemologically circular, even when the only evidence that the taxonomist has to go on is the phenetic similarity of contemporary forms. The important criticism of evolutionary taxonomy is rather that in (...) the absence of fossil evidence phyletic reconstructions are not warranted. It is argued that this charge stems initially from a misunderstanding of the kind of certainty possible in empirical science. When this criticism is couched in appropriate terms, it may be seen to have some force. Many phyletic inferences are not as warranted as one might wish. However, there is a great deal of difference between arguing that a line of reasoning is unwarranted and arguing that it is viciously circular. (shrink)

This article concerns a number of relatively important German zoologists and anatomists, who belonged to the group of idealistic morphologists, a group of scientists forming a counterpart to the experimental sciences on the European continent in the first half of the twentieth century. Idealistic morphology employed the type concept, i.e. the theoretical construct of an ideal form, which could be used as a unifying principle for ordering the multitude of actually existing forms. Given the logical primacy of the type concept, (...) the idealistic morphologists constructed a number of kindred concepts, as e.g. the concept of homology, finality and holism. Idealistic morphology can be seen as a reaction to the rise of the reductionistic experimental sciences in the first decades of our century. Although the idealistic morphologists were a relatively subordinated group of scientists, they were an influential counterpart to the dominant experimental disciplines. On account of the influence of idealistic morphology, the development of the life sciences on the continent deviated from the development in the Anglo-American countries. Because of the reinvigorated interest in the morphological tradition, the growth of the experimental sciences on the continent was not as extreme as in the Anglo-American countries. (shrink)

A study is made of the history of the type and related concepts, from Greek Antiquity up to the present. It is demonstrated that the type-concept of eighteenth century biology was based on Leibniz's concept of substantial form, and was not related to a Platonic Idea, whilst it is now generally understood in the sense of model or norm. In the present paper, a type-concept is developed which includes ontogenetic and phylogenetic time and various evolutionary mechanisms. This type can serve (...) as a model of the evolutionary potentialities of a taxon, and as a standard of higher classification. All classifications based on the same archetype, whether typological, numerical or phylogenetic, will be comparable, although not necessarily identical. (shrink)

In his article Forme et Fonction Barge wrote in 1936 that living matter cannot be totally understood in terms of causality. In this paper we argue on the contrary that this is in principle possible.In order to develop our arguments, we discuss some basic and derived concepts used in morphology and functional anatomy. We also formulate comments on the so-called formal, functional and final elucidations.

A study is made of the history of the type and related concepts, from Greek Antiquity up to the present. It is demonstrated that the type-concept of eighteenth century biology was based on Leibniz's concept of substantial form, and was not related to a Platonic Idea, whilst it is now generally understood in the sense of model or norm. In the present paper, a type-concept is developed which includes ontogenetic and phylogenetic time and various evolutionary mechanisms. This type (an archetype) (...) can serve as a model of the evolutionary potentialities of a taxon, and as a standard of higher classification. All classifications based on the same archetype, whether typological, numerical or phylogenetic, will be comparable, although not necessarily identical. (shrink)

The meaning of the word homology has changed. From being a comparative concept in pre-Darwinian times, it became a historical concept, strictly signifying a common evolutionary origin for either anatomical structures or genes. This historical understanding of homology is not useful in classification; therefore I propose a return to its pre-Darwinian meaning.