22 May 2015
Manfred Laubichler
Arizona State University
Over the last decades, evolutionary explanations have been given for an increasing number of social, cultural and disease phenomena. In this talk I will introduce the basic elements of a theory of extended evolution that focuses first on the origin of variation and second on the evolutionary dynamics. The theoretical framework for extended evolution is based on the integration of complex adaptive systems with evolutionary theory. It focuses on the evolutionary consequences of the properties of complex systems, especially the role of path-dependent historical events and of the integration of different types of causal networks through such processes as internalization, externalization (niche construction), and hierarchical expansion. I will illustrate this theory with examples from biological, social and cultural evolution.