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Papers by Carlos Ochoa
Natural Selection, Revisiting its Explanatory Role in Evolutionary Biology/ Richard Delisle (ed), 2021
The structure of an ancestral group inevitably restricts the lines of possible evolutionary chang... more The structure of an ancestral group inevitably restricts the lines of possible evolutionary change. That simple fact greatly increases the probability that among the number of descendant lineages several or all will follow one line. Abstract George Gaylord Simpson, one of the architects of Modern Synthesis, was one of the main figures of paleontology who discredited and rejected the theory of orthogenesis in his discipline. Following the neo-Darwinian agenda, he thought that this theory had little basis to be proven. Since then, orthogenesis has been defined in textbooks as a "metaphysical," "vitalistic," or "theological" theory. However, in the present analysis, I demonstrate that Simpson indirectly advocated for an explanation of orthogenesis through his explanation of the concept of "parallelism." In other words, Simpson did not end orthogenesis but rather ended up defending the phenomenon of orthogenesis through the concept of parallelism. I argue that Simpson maintained pluralistic ideas upon including constraints into his evolutionary system as a complementary factor to the argument of natural selection.
Natural Selection, Revisiting its Explanatory Role in Evolutionary Biology/ Richard Delisle (ed), 2021
By considering the traditional history of evolutionary thought, William Bateson has been portraye... more By considering the traditional history of evolutionary thought, William Bateson has been portrayed as an irrational anti-Darwinist who found in Mendel's laws the basis of heredity that supported his belief in saltational evolution; in so doing, he delayed the modern synthesis. However, this chapter suggests a very different interpretation. Bateson was one of the first geneticists whose ideas are closely associated with current developmental biology. I demonstrate that Bateson's studies were focused on how morphological structures arise and are maintained and not just the research of hereditary transmission of characters. From this framework, he attempted to understand how complex structures can emerge from transmission elements (which we know today as genes) during their ontogeny. In other words, he was one of the first scientists who conceived what we know today as the action of genes in controlling development. This view allowed him to criticize the model of gradual evolution, challenging natural selection as a creative force.
En Torrens, E. y Barahona, A. "La evolución biológica en los libros de texto mexicanos". México: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Ciencias y Centro de Estudios Filosóficos, Políticos y Sociales Vicente Lombardo Toledano , 2017
Most of the studies about history of evolutionary thinking in Mexico have been focused on the his... more Most of the studies about history of evolutionary thinking in Mexico have been focused on the history of the introduction of Darwinism. This has provoked historiographical negligence that could result in an inadequate interpretation of the ideas of the first evolutionists in Mexico. Alfredo Dugès, Alfonso Luis Herrera and Isaac Ochoterena were pluralistic evolutionists with ideas germane to their time, who divulged evolutionism through their textbooks. In this paper it is suggested to leave aside the traditional historiographies to argue in favor of the introduction of evolutionism in Mexico. In this way one can count on a more contextualized version of the history of biology in Mexico.
The different manifestations of equivalence and similarity in structure throughout evolution sugg... more The different manifestations of equivalence and similarity in structure throughout evolution suggest a continuous and hierarchical process that starts out with the origin of a morphological novelty, unit, or homologue. Once a morphological unit has originated, its properties change subsequently into variants that differ, in magnitude, from the original properties found in the common ancestor. We will look into the nature of morphological units and their degrees of modification, which will provide the starting point for restructuring the concept of “homology,” keeping the use of homology as the identity of an anatomical part, and homogeny, as the specific variation of that anatomical part during evolution. We will also show that parallelism has a distinct placement within an evolutionary continuum between homology and homoplasy, whereas the phenomenon of evolutionary convergence is left outside this continuum. We will then provide some epistemological and developmental criteria to justify these distinctions, showing that there is a direct relation between the nature of these concepts and the constraints that developmental mechanisms impose on evolution. Finally, we will propose a hierarchical model that places homology, homogeny, homoplasy, and parallelism, as distinct phenomena within an evolutionary continuum.
Books by Carlos Ochoa
The name of this book, “The eclipse of Anti-Darwinism”, emerges as a replica of the famous phrase... more The name of this book, “The eclipse of Anti-Darwinism”, emerges as a replica of the famous phrase of Julian Huxley “The eclipse of Darwinism”, developed in his book Evolution: The Modern Synthesis. Huxley explains that during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Darwinism had fallen on hard times due to the development of some evolutionary theories. The debate ended with the victory of the Darwinian theory through a historical process known as Modern Synthesis. The Modern Synthesis was the unification of different disciplines of biological knowledge to validate the Darwinian theory. In this book, the history of the Modern Synthesis is exposed under a skeptical and non-conventional point of view, and where the main theories of inheritance and evolution are analyzed from both sides of the debate. Finally, it shows how Modern Synthesis has eclipsed the anti-Darwinian theories, concluding that synthesis was not a comprehensive synthesis between all disciplines (because it subordinated disciplines such as morphology, embryology, and paleontology), instead it was fundamentally a compelling agreement between a few scientists who longed for the unification of a theory for Darwinian evolution. Interestingly, new findings in developmental biology lately have generated controversy regarding the achievements of the Modern Synthesis. Then, if we were able to abandon (And if today we abandoned) the central framework of Darwinism view, would we speak then about the emergence of a new evolutionary synthetic theory, but not about a Darwinian one? If this book contributes to such a synthetic point of view, I shall be well content.
The two faces of Janus of morphology have looked towards opposite sides of approaches. One face l... more The two faces of Janus of morphology have looked towards opposite sides of approaches. One face looks at the functional approach and the other at the structural approach. The debate knowing as “formalism versus functionalism” is a long-standing issue in biology. It provided numerous challenges giving rise concepts which are fundamental in contemporary comparative biology. For example, homology, analogy, homoplasy, parallelism, and convergence are the most important concepts of comparative biology. They are used for myriads of activities within contemporary biology, from phylogenetic analysis to studies of evolutionary patterns of developmental biology. However, they cannot be precisely defined. Our interest with this book over origin and development of these concepts is to understand where the interpretations of evolutionary phenomena are formulated, interpretations that arose in the debate “formalism versus functionalism”, and whose matters spread over many decades, even still open to scrutiny and discussion.
Homology and analogy are the most important concepts of comparative anatomy. But, currently we st... more Homology and analogy are the most important concepts of comparative anatomy. But, currently we still have some problems to define them precisely. This book shows conceptual difficulties about homology and analogy from early times, as well as sematic-epistemological issues. Furthermore, it attempts to approach into one of the most controversial matters within biological thought. “Is function the mechanical result of form, or is form merely the manifestation of function or activity?” as Russell said.
Thesis Chapters by Carlos Ochoa
La biología evolutiva contemporánea: ¿una revolución más en la ciencia?/ Julio Muñoz-Rubio (editor), 2018
The Non-Darwinian Revolution: Is Darwinian the Extension of the Modern Synthesis? In this chapter... more The Non-Darwinian Revolution: Is Darwinian the Extension of the Modern Synthesis? In this chapter, we revisited the Anti-Darwinian evolutionary theories in the decades around 1900, and we compare them with some recent evolutionary assumptions in the framework of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (e.g., epigenetic inheritance, phenotypic accommodation, developmental bias, rapid rates of change, etc.). Here, we disagree about the label “the extended synthesis”, rather we suggest the development of a theoretical pluralism of evolution for explaining the distinct evolutionary phenomena.
Natural Selection, Revisiting its Explanatory Role in Evolutionary Biology/ Richard Delisle (ed), 2021
The structure of an ancestral group inevitably restricts the lines of possible evolutionary chang... more The structure of an ancestral group inevitably restricts the lines of possible evolutionary change. That simple fact greatly increases the probability that among the number of descendant lineages several or all will follow one line. Abstract George Gaylord Simpson, one of the architects of Modern Synthesis, was one of the main figures of paleontology who discredited and rejected the theory of orthogenesis in his discipline. Following the neo-Darwinian agenda, he thought that this theory had little basis to be proven. Since then, orthogenesis has been defined in textbooks as a "metaphysical," "vitalistic," or "theological" theory. However, in the present analysis, I demonstrate that Simpson indirectly advocated for an explanation of orthogenesis through his explanation of the concept of "parallelism." In other words, Simpson did not end orthogenesis but rather ended up defending the phenomenon of orthogenesis through the concept of parallelism. I argue that Simpson maintained pluralistic ideas upon including constraints into his evolutionary system as a complementary factor to the argument of natural selection.
Natural Selection, Revisiting its Explanatory Role in Evolutionary Biology/ Richard Delisle (ed), 2021
By considering the traditional history of evolutionary thought, William Bateson has been portraye... more By considering the traditional history of evolutionary thought, William Bateson has been portrayed as an irrational anti-Darwinist who found in Mendel's laws the basis of heredity that supported his belief in saltational evolution; in so doing, he delayed the modern synthesis. However, this chapter suggests a very different interpretation. Bateson was one of the first geneticists whose ideas are closely associated with current developmental biology. I demonstrate that Bateson's studies were focused on how morphological structures arise and are maintained and not just the research of hereditary transmission of characters. From this framework, he attempted to understand how complex structures can emerge from transmission elements (which we know today as genes) during their ontogeny. In other words, he was one of the first scientists who conceived what we know today as the action of genes in controlling development. This view allowed him to criticize the model of gradual evolution, challenging natural selection as a creative force.
En Torrens, E. y Barahona, A. "La evolución biológica en los libros de texto mexicanos". México: Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Ciencias y Centro de Estudios Filosóficos, Políticos y Sociales Vicente Lombardo Toledano , 2017
Most of the studies about history of evolutionary thinking in Mexico have been focused on the his... more Most of the studies about history of evolutionary thinking in Mexico have been focused on the history of the introduction of Darwinism. This has provoked historiographical negligence that could result in an inadequate interpretation of the ideas of the first evolutionists in Mexico. Alfredo Dugès, Alfonso Luis Herrera and Isaac Ochoterena were pluralistic evolutionists with ideas germane to their time, who divulged evolutionism through their textbooks. In this paper it is suggested to leave aside the traditional historiographies to argue in favor of the introduction of evolutionism in Mexico. In this way one can count on a more contextualized version of the history of biology in Mexico.
The different manifestations of equivalence and similarity in structure throughout evolution sugg... more The different manifestations of equivalence and similarity in structure throughout evolution suggest a continuous and hierarchical process that starts out with the origin of a morphological novelty, unit, or homologue. Once a morphological unit has originated, its properties change subsequently into variants that differ, in magnitude, from the original properties found in the common ancestor. We will look into the nature of morphological units and their degrees of modification, which will provide the starting point for restructuring the concept of “homology,” keeping the use of homology as the identity of an anatomical part, and homogeny, as the specific variation of that anatomical part during evolution. We will also show that parallelism has a distinct placement within an evolutionary continuum between homology and homoplasy, whereas the phenomenon of evolutionary convergence is left outside this continuum. We will then provide some epistemological and developmental criteria to justify these distinctions, showing that there is a direct relation between the nature of these concepts and the constraints that developmental mechanisms impose on evolution. Finally, we will propose a hierarchical model that places homology, homogeny, homoplasy, and parallelism, as distinct phenomena within an evolutionary continuum.
The name of this book, “The eclipse of Anti-Darwinism”, emerges as a replica of the famous phrase... more The name of this book, “The eclipse of Anti-Darwinism”, emerges as a replica of the famous phrase of Julian Huxley “The eclipse of Darwinism”, developed in his book Evolution: The Modern Synthesis. Huxley explains that during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries Darwinism had fallen on hard times due to the development of some evolutionary theories. The debate ended with the victory of the Darwinian theory through a historical process known as Modern Synthesis. The Modern Synthesis was the unification of different disciplines of biological knowledge to validate the Darwinian theory. In this book, the history of the Modern Synthesis is exposed under a skeptical and non-conventional point of view, and where the main theories of inheritance and evolution are analyzed from both sides of the debate. Finally, it shows how Modern Synthesis has eclipsed the anti-Darwinian theories, concluding that synthesis was not a comprehensive synthesis between all disciplines (because it subordinated disciplines such as morphology, embryology, and paleontology), instead it was fundamentally a compelling agreement between a few scientists who longed for the unification of a theory for Darwinian evolution. Interestingly, new findings in developmental biology lately have generated controversy regarding the achievements of the Modern Synthesis. Then, if we were able to abandon (And if today we abandoned) the central framework of Darwinism view, would we speak then about the emergence of a new evolutionary synthetic theory, but not about a Darwinian one? If this book contributes to such a synthetic point of view, I shall be well content.
The two faces of Janus of morphology have looked towards opposite sides of approaches. One face l... more The two faces of Janus of morphology have looked towards opposite sides of approaches. One face looks at the functional approach and the other at the structural approach. The debate knowing as “formalism versus functionalism” is a long-standing issue in biology. It provided numerous challenges giving rise concepts which are fundamental in contemporary comparative biology. For example, homology, analogy, homoplasy, parallelism, and convergence are the most important concepts of comparative biology. They are used for myriads of activities within contemporary biology, from phylogenetic analysis to studies of evolutionary patterns of developmental biology. However, they cannot be precisely defined. Our interest with this book over origin and development of these concepts is to understand where the interpretations of evolutionary phenomena are formulated, interpretations that arose in the debate “formalism versus functionalism”, and whose matters spread over many decades, even still open to scrutiny and discussion.
Homology and analogy are the most important concepts of comparative anatomy. But, currently we st... more Homology and analogy are the most important concepts of comparative anatomy. But, currently we still have some problems to define them precisely. This book shows conceptual difficulties about homology and analogy from early times, as well as sematic-epistemological issues. Furthermore, it attempts to approach into one of the most controversial matters within biological thought. “Is function the mechanical result of form, or is form merely the manifestation of function or activity?” as Russell said.
La biología evolutiva contemporánea: ¿una revolución más en la ciencia?/ Julio Muñoz-Rubio (editor), 2018
The Non-Darwinian Revolution: Is Darwinian the Extension of the Modern Synthesis? In this chapter... more The Non-Darwinian Revolution: Is Darwinian the Extension of the Modern Synthesis? In this chapter, we revisited the Anti-Darwinian evolutionary theories in the decades around 1900, and we compare them with some recent evolutionary assumptions in the framework of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (e.g., epigenetic inheritance, phenotypic accommodation, developmental bias, rapid rates of change, etc.). Here, we disagree about the label “the extended synthesis”, rather we suggest the development of a theoretical pluralism of evolution for explaining the distinct evolutionary phenomena.