Yesterday, I read a famous scientific article on adaptation by evolutionary biologists Stephen J. Gould and Richard Lewontin, titled “The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: A Critique of the Adaptationist Programme” (Gould & Lewontin, 1979). Gould & Lewontin criticize what they call the “adaptationist programme” school of thought within evolutionary biology. This paper made me cognizant of the pitfalls of adaptive theory, and allowed me to re-evaluate my own understanding of evolution.
Full Article: The Adaptation Program on The Advanced Apes
