History of the Selectionist/Neutralist Debate in            Evolutionary Biology
{'Code': '08080301', 'Directorate': {'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'LongName': 'Div Of Biological Infrastructure'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Ronald J. Overmann'}
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.
{'FirstName': 'William', 'LastName': 'Provine', 'EmailAddress': 'wbp2@cornell.edu', 'StartDate': '07/01/1988', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Cornell University', 'CityName': 'Ithaca', 'ZipCode': '148502820', 'PhoneNumber': '6072555014', 'StreetAddress': '373 Pine Tree Road', 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'New York', 'StateCode': 'NY'}
{'Code': '1353', 'Text': 'Hist & Philosophy of SET'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1988&All=true', 'xml': '8812254.xml'}