THE HISTORICAL TURN IN THE STUDY OF ADAPTATION

A number of philosophers and 'evolutionary psychologists' have argued that attacks on adaptationism in contemporary biology are misguided. T hese thinkers identify anti-adaptationism with advocacy of non-adaptiv e modes of explanation. They overlook the influence of anti-adaptation ism in the development of more rigorous forms of adaptive explanation. Many biologists who reject adaptationism do not reject Darwinism. Ins tead, they have pioneered the contemporary historical turn in the stud y of adaptation. One real issue which remains unresolved amongst these methodological advances is the nature of 'phylogenetic inertia'. To w hat extent is an adaptive explanation needed for the persistence of a trait as well as its origin?