Grupo de Investigação | Research Group:

Filosofia das Ciências da Vida / Philosophy of Life Sciences

Although techniques and methods of descriptive and experimental biology have evolved dramatically in recent years, generating a flood of highly detailed empirical data, the integration of these results has lagged behind. Since Darwin, natural selection is seen as the primary cause of evolution. During the 20th century, Darwin?s followers formalized natural selection mathematically and redefined it as differential survival and reproduction, entrenched as the universal cause of evolution. However, new approaches to evolution have arisen to fill the gaps in our understanding of some of the major open questions of biology. Bringing bacteria and viruses into evolutionary framework has entailed vital changes to evolutionary theory. Biologists start realizing that there are other major driving forces capable to produce emergent novelties that cause evolution. We aim to explore the epistemological implications of these new evolutionary theories, especially to the concept of evolution. In particular, we will give special attention to symbiogenesis, how it was originated, structured and developed, its epistemological proposals and consequences for neo-Darwinism assumptions and also for Darwin?s tree of life. We will also continue to focus on the evolution of man, especially discussing relevant advancements on this area, from grooming to the emergence of symbolic thinking, encompassing studies with different methodological approaches and contributions.