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Rethinking genes
Author(s) -
Marks Jonathan,
Lyles R. Brent
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
evolutionary anthropology: issues, news, and reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1520-6505
pISSN - 1060-1538
DOI - 10.1002/evan.1360030408
Subject(s) - construct (python library) , epistemology , gene , sociology , space (punctuation) , biology , evolutionary biology , genetics , philosophy , computer science , linguistics , programming language
The gene is the central construct of twentieth‐century biology and evolution. It is a construct because, like “culture” in anthropology, “gene” is widely used and is central to the discipline's discourse, but eludes rigorous definition. Although the gene is acknowledged as a material entity, its membership criteria are unclear and its boundaries are fuzzy—indeed, more than one can occupy the same space at the same time. The purpose of this essay is to bring to light recent refinements in our conception of the gene and their implications for its use in biological anthropology.