Adolf Portmann and two poles of Vertebrata

Professor Adolf Portmann (27.V.1897 Basel – 28.VI.1982), Swiss zoologist and anthropologist. Former Rector of University of Basel.
His name is listed among fifteen “great names, great achievements” of Basel University next to Paracelsus, Bernoulli or Nietzsche (1). He is sometimes considered to be one of the most original biological thinkers of the twentieth century (2)(3). Recently there has been a revival of interest in his work (2)(3)(4). His books have been reprinted several times. Those who are interested in his thoughts about self-representation of species (Selbstdarstellung), own appearance (eigentliche Erscheinung) etc… should try his New paths in biology (5). I will just focus on one aspect of his legacy – form development and polarization of nerve and reproductive centres in Vertebrata. This issue may be of interest because it aroused noteworthy response of some neodarwinian apologists.

Wilhelm Troll and German Idealistic Morphology.

Wilhelm Troll ( 1897 München – 1978 Mainz), German morphologist who acquired international recognition (1). Since 1932 professor of botany at the Univerisity Halle, 1946-1966 at Mainz. Author of many publications and textbooks. His work regarding inflorescence is still considered as actual by some authors (1989) (2). ‘He provided the first general view on the diversity of plant form, and influenced German morphology for decades. At least 16 of his disciples have held a professorship in Germany and have passed on his typological concept’.(3)

Franz Heikertinger’s rejection of natural selection

Franz Heikertinger (7.VI.1876 Wien – 24.X.1953), Austrian entomologist. Corresponding member of many scientific societies, secretary of the Zoological and botanical society Wien and chairman of the Department of Entomology  (Sektion für Entomologie), editor of the “Koleopterologische Rundschau”. His extensive work regarding systematics and mimicry are listed on more than eight  pages (1). Franz Heikertinger strongly rejected “natural selection” as the explanation of evolution of mimicry. His discussions with “selectionists” can be found in many journals that are available on-line nowadays (2).

It is almost impossible to summarize his work about mimicry in such a limited place like this one. Yet I will try to outline his main ideas and examples I have found most interesting.

John Davison’s Evolutionary Manifesto

Professor John A. Davison’s “Evolutionary manifesto: A new hypothesis for organic change” (2000) is one of the most inspiring works concerning evolution. The treatise is dedicated to the memory of six great scientists: William Bateson, Leo S. Berg, Robert Broom, Richard B. Goldschmidt, Pierre Grassé and Otto Schindewolf. Professor Davison continues in the tradition founded by these great scholars. He not only sumarizes their main evolutionary ideas that oppose (neo)darwinism, but proposes his own evolutionary mechanism: semi-meiotic hypothesis. Far from being able to reproduce all arguments and details of his work I recommend everyone study it for themselves. His work is available on his blog (1), on his old home page at University Vermont (2) as well as on Uncommon descent (3).

 

Richard Goldschmidt and the Controversial Chapter of Darwinism.

Richard Goldschmidt  (1878 Germany – 1958 USA) , geneticist, professor at the University of Munich and later  University of California, Berkeley. Member of  the National Academy of Science and in 1953 Elected President of the Ninth International Congress of Genetics. “Brilliant but unorthodox geneticist” according Richard Milner (1990) (1).

 In Goldschmidt’s view the gradual accumulation of small mutations  was sufficient for microevolution, but was insufficient for macroevolution.  For speciation (macroevolution), a different mechanism was required. In The Material Basis of Evolution (1940), Goldschmidt proposed systemic mutation – “a change of intrachromosomal pattern” – and developmental macromutations, popularly known as the “Hopeful Monster” hypothesis.

Ludwig von Bertalanffy and ‘Tibetan prayer mills of selectionism’.

Karl Ludwig von Bertalanffy (19.IX.1901 Austria – 12.VI.1972 USA) was a theoretical biologist and the father of General System Theory (1). He played an important role in the intellectual history of the twentieth century (2). He was a member of the Deutsche Akademie für Naturforscher Leopoldina (Halle), the New York Academy of Sciences, he held positions at the University of Vienna (1934-48), the University of Ottawa (1950-54), the Mount Sinai Hospital (Los Angeles) (1955-58), the University of Alberta (1961-68), State University of New York (SUNY) (1969-72) (3). According (2) “Ludwig von Bertalanffy is mainly remembered as the originator of the open systems theory in biology, an organismic theory which rejected both the mechanistic and the vitalistic explanations of life processes.”

Friedrich Nietzsche’s Anti-Darwin

Friedrich Nietzsche (15.X 1844 – 25 VIII. 1900), German philosopher. Nietzsche wrote in “Twilight of the Idols” (1888) about darwinism:

Anti-Darwin. — As for the famous “struggle for existence,” so far it seems to me to be asserted rather than proved. It occurs, but as an exception; the total appearance of life is not the extremity, not starvation, but rather riches, profusion, even absurd squandering —
and where there is struggle, it is a struggle for power. One should not mistake Malthus for nature. Assuming, however, that there is such a struggle for existence — and, indeed, it occurs — its result is unfortunately the opposite of what Darwin’s school desires, and of what one might perhaps desire with them — namely, in favor of the strong, the privileged, the fortunate exceptions.