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Structural reduction through the “probable mutation effect”. A critique with questions regarding human evolution
Author(s) -
Holloway Ralph L.
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
american journal of physical anthropology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.146
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1096-8644
pISSN - 0002-9483
DOI - 10.1002/ajpa.1330250103
Subject(s) - wright , credibility , adaptation (eye) , reduction (mathematics) , brace , selection (genetic algorithm) , mutation , epistemology , psychology , philosophy , computer science , biology , genetics , mathematics , artificial intelligence , thermodynamics , geometry , neuroscience , gene , physics , programming language
Brace's adaptation of Sewall Wright's concept of “mutation pressure” is critically examined. It is concluded that while Brace's adaptation of this principle is probably valid and useful in explaining certain aspects of structural reduction in human evolution, three criticisms can be made: (1) in its present form, the hypothesis does not provide any explanation of foci for positive selection pressures; (2) the hypothesis is overextened to include all cases of reduction, offering no guidelines to select among alternative hypotheses: (3) the hypothesis has more credibility if Wright's original observations regarding pleiotrophy are included.