Move to the EES

The Modern Synthesis (MS), the dominant paradigm in evolutionary biology for much of the 20th century, unified Darwinian evolution with Mendelian genetics. However, recent discoveries and theoretical advancements have exposed limitations in the MS framework. This paper argues for a new approach – the Inclusive Biological Synthesis (IBS)(EES) – that moves beyond the MS while incorporating insights from diverse biological subfields. The Case for Moving Beyond the Modern Synthesis The MS focused on natural selection acting on genetic variation within populations. While successful in Microevolution, it struggled to fully account for: The Role of Development: Evo-devo (evolutionary developmental biology) demonstrates how developmental processes influence phenotypic variation and evolution. The MS largely ignored the intricate dance between genes and development. Non-Genetic Inheritance: Epigenetic modifications, for instance, can be heritable and influence phenotypes acr...

Charles Darwin's "On the Origin of Species" influenced our understanding of life. His core principles – descent with modification through natural selection – formed the foundation of Darwinian evolution. However , the advent of epigenetics and genomics, the study of entire genomes, has cast new light on these principles, revealing a more nuanced picture of how evolution operates. This article  entry explores how genomics challenges Darwinian evolution, prompting a shift from a strictly selection-centric view to a broader understanding of the forces shaping life's diversity. Natural Selection: The Dominant Force, Re-evaluated Darwinian evolution hinges on natural selection. Organisms with heritable traits that enhance survival and reproduction leave more offspring, passing on those advantageous traits. Over generations, populations adapt to their environments. However, epigenetics and genomics reveals a surprising truth: natural selection is not as domi...

For years, DNA reigned supreme. The majestic double helix, unveiled by Watson and Crick, held the secrets of life, the blueprint for every living thing. RNA, its less glamorous cousin, was relegated to a supporting role, a simple messenger carrying instructions from DNA to the protein factories of the cell, the ribosomes. But science, as it often does, loves to throw curveballs . Lately, RNA has been emerging from the shadows, its true potential blossoming before our eyes. It's like a blurry figure in the mist slowly coming into focus, revealing a complexity and agency we never suspected. The first whispers of this revolution came with the discovery of introns and splicing . We used to think genes were these neat, uninterrupted stretches of DNA. Wrong . Turns out, many genes are riddled with introns, seemingly useless stretches of genetic material interrupting the coding sequences, the exons. Here's where RNA steps up. A special type of RNA, messenger RNA (mRNA), un...