So, we are running in circles. Adaptive radiation is just a special case of the more general phenomenon, although it might not be if the rate of change/speciation continues rapidly without convergence to some equilibrium. Adaptive radiation was described in Darwin, without the term, and in some later editions he did note the variabilty of rates of evolution, although he did not exress the idea that much speciation would occur very rapidly followed by long periods of substantial stasis. This idea is never stated anywhere in Origin of the Species, nor does it appear in any writings prior to Eldredge and Gould.
One could say that what is involved here is the stating of a hypothesis, that is then given a label. It is a much broader idea than just adaptive radiation arising from genetic drift, which is indeed something that had been described earlier, but I repeat is only a special case and does not include the crucial addendum regarding long periods of stasis. Indeed, as I noted earlier, it is this latter point that is really the new part of E and G’s idea of p.e. Certainly that speciation might occur rapidly under various circumstances, especially when the general environment is changing rapidly, as for example during a Cuvierian “catastrophe” such as wiped out the dinosaurs, was noted previously. But such catastrophes are also essentially special cases, just as is adaptive radiation. It is the adding of the long periods of stasis that distinguishes the idea/hypothesis, or whatever you want to call it. But let us be clear “adaptive radiatiom” does not equal “punctuated equilibrium.”
BTW, you will not find my most extensive discussions of evolutionary theory on my website. The most extended discussion appears in my 1991 book, From Catastrophe to Chaos: A General Theory of Economic Discontinuities, Kluwer, especially in Chap. 12.
Again, probably for the last time, I await from anybody an idea appearing in the last 50 years, besides coevolution, that has been more important, or perhaps more influential, than punctuated equilibrium. Without such an offering, I would say my case rests, and very solidly.
J Thomas,
So, we are running in circles. Adaptive radiation is just a special case of the more general phenomenon, although it might not be if the rate of change/speciation continues rapidly without convergence to some equilibrium. Adaptive radiation was described in Darwin, without the term, and in some later editions he did note the variabilty of rates of evolution, although he did not exress the idea that much speciation would occur very rapidly followed by long periods of substantial stasis. This idea is never stated anywhere in Origin of the Species, nor does it appear in any writings prior to Eldredge and Gould.
One could say that what is involved here is the stating of a hypothesis, that is then given a label. It is a much broader idea than just adaptive radiation arising from genetic drift, which is indeed something that had been described earlier, but I repeat is only a special case and does not include the crucial addendum regarding long periods of stasis. Indeed, as I noted earlier, it is this latter point that is really the new part of E and G’s idea of p.e. Certainly that speciation might occur rapidly under various circumstances, especially when the general environment is changing rapidly, as for example during a Cuvierian “catastrophe” such as wiped out the dinosaurs, was noted previously. But such catastrophes are also essentially special cases, just as is adaptive radiation. It is the adding of the long periods of stasis that distinguishes the idea/hypothesis, or whatever you want to call it. But let us be clear “adaptive radiatiom” does not equal “punctuated equilibrium.”
BTW, you will not find my most extensive discussions of evolutionary theory on my website. The most extended discussion appears in my 1991 book, From Catastrophe to Chaos: A General Theory of Economic Discontinuities, Kluwer, especially in Chap. 12.
Again, probably for the last time, I await from anybody an idea appearing in the last 50 years, besides coevolution, that has been more important, or perhaps more influential, than punctuated equilibrium. Without such an offering, I would say my case rests, and very solidly.