Heredity, Adaptation and Evolution: New Theoretical Proposals and their Contribution to the Developmental Systems Theory

Abstract

Biological sciences are under the paradigm of the Synthetic Theory of Evo- lution (STE). The theoretical and epistemological basis of it is starting to show weakness as a result of the progress made by other fields and the accumulation of empiric evidence that cannot be explained under its assumptions. The Developmental Systems Theory (DST) is a theoretical inclusive proposal for heredity, evolution and developmental biology. Fields such as epigenetics, behavioural sciences and other theories such as Niche Construction Theory (NCT) contribute to DST by the integration of diverse factors so to understand biological processes. In the present research we analyze evidence from epigenetics, behavioural sciences and theoretical proposals from diverse authors that allow understanding of concepts as evolution, inheritance and adaptation in a broader manner. These topics, although are seen within the biology field as mere philosophy by most authors, constitute theoretical frames that restrict and guide problems and questions in research and that is why addressing them results in an attempt to think about current paradigms. It is concluded the necessity to question and rede- fine the fundamental theoretical concepts and its articulation with the theories that contain them in order to get a bigger explanatory power about evolutionary processes.