The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection facts for kids
The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection is a really important book written by R.A. Fisher. It came out in 1930. This book brought together two big ideas in science: Mendelian genetics (how traits are passed down) and Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection (how living things change over time). It's seen as one of the key books in what scientists call the modern evolutionary synthesis.
Contents
Book Editions
The first version of the book was published in 1930. A second, slightly updated version came out in 1958. Later, in 1999, a third special edition was released. This edition included the original 1930 text, along with notes about the changes made in the 1958 version.
Why This Book Is Important
When Ronald Fisher began his work, the science of genetics was not fully understood. Some biologists didn't see how evolution through natural selection could happen with what they knew about heredity (how traits are passed from parents to children).
Fisher's book helped to show how small changes in genes could lead to the big changes we see in the fossil record over long periods. His second chapter, called Fundamental theory of natural selection, convinced many scientists that Charles Darwin's ideas and modern genetics could work together.
- Fisher's ideas were supported by other famous scientists like Julian Huxley, J.B.S. Haldane, Sewell Wright, Theodosius Dobzhansky, and G. Ledyard Stebbins.
- These scientists, along with field biologists Ernst Mayr and Bernhard Rensch, and a palaeontologist (someone who studies fossils) named George Simpson, helped create the "modern synthesis" of evolution. This is the main way scientists understand evolution today.
Fisher also explored ideas about sexual selection (how traits develop to help animals find mates), mimicry (when one species looks like another), and how some genes become dominant. He showed that big mutations (changes in genes) usually make an individual less healthy. He also proved that larger groups of living things have more variety in their genes, which helps them survive better. His work laid the groundwork for a field of study called population genetics.
What People Thought of the Book
Many people reviewed Fisher's book. One reviewer was Charles Galton Darwin, who was Charles Darwin's grandson. He even sent Fisher his own copy of the book with notes in the margins, which led to a long discussion between them.
Even though the book was immediately understood by the few scientists who knew a lot about genetics, it took a while for most biologists to truly appreciate it. Today, it is widely agreed that Fisher's book is one of the most important foundations of modern population genetics and the study of evolution.
The book also greatly influenced W.D. Hamilton, another important scientist. Hamilton developed his ideas about kin selection, which explains how genes can make animals help their relatives. Hamilton said that Fisher's book was almost as important as Charles Darwin's Origin and The Descent of Man. He called it one of the greatest books of the twentieth century.
Images for kids
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The peacock's beautiful tail is a classic example of a trait that might have evolved through Fisherian runaway, a type of sexual selection.
See also
In Spanish: The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection para niños
