Abstract: The concept of evolvability has sparked considerable debate since it first emerged in evolutionary biology. Initial discussions centered on the intriguing question of the evolution of evolvability itself, which has often been framed as paradoxical. For many, the idea of the “evolution of evolvability” suggests the notion of “selection for evolvability,” which raises theoretical challenges. Over time, however, the literature on the evolution of evolvability has grown significantly, and a range of hypotheses have been proposed to address this issue, enriching our understanding of how evolvability might be integrated into evolutionary processes. This talk presents the conceptual landscape of these different hypotheses, examining the philosophical implications of naturalizing the evolution of evolvability. In particular, it explores how the notion of evolvability arose as an epistemic need in evolutionary biology and how
Activities > Colloquium > Chance, Necessity, and the Evolution of Evolvability
