new evolution

This first semester has proven difficult in unimaginable ways. I once read an article discussing the utility of video gaming to maintain brain function throughout life, and possibly develop it in early life (although I would argue that an adventurous young life in general develops brain function regardless of video games but perhaps some areas are more conducive to this than others). This article was published back when whatever that puzzle game had come out. I have no idea what it was, something for gameboy involving memory tasks. One person commented that he had not had to learn new skill sets with the same intensity since grad school. That later in life, professionals know their fields and do less and less innovating. I scoffed at that a bit thinking, what will I really learn in grad school. I expected greater technical training and diversification to become a reasonable public speaker, instructor, and slight programmer / web developer / statistician.

My phenotypic plasticity class has turned that idea on its head. My idea of evolution is completely changed. It's perhaps the biggest wake up call that I've ever had (maybe pretty girls telling me I'm an asshole and meaning it has come close). But I am a biologist with a sub-par understanding of evolution... Evolution is...everything, the grand central theory of biology without which nothing makes sense.

Without going into needless detail, genetic evolution is driven by selection but environmental and genetic impacts on development are responsible for form (or phenotype). The key idea being that mutation is not required for the generation of a novel form which is heritable and thus selectable. In this way, environmental factors can lead the way with selection for fitness and mutational generation of more fit combinations coming after the new phenotype is already expressed. The concepts are expressed best in West-Eberhard's book Developmental Plasticity and Evolution.

So as a biologist rethinking the mechanisms of evolution, my advice to those educating and being educated alike is to remain open to divergent surprising ideas. This is not a new statement, but this is perhaps the first time I can say it with humility and not as a way of saying...listen to MY ideas which may be different from yours.