English

Rm Lerner,Wf Overton

doi:10.13172/2054-197x-1-1-919

Abstract

Introduction We summarize briefly contemporary scientific advances in evolutionary biology and epigenetics, and discuss their implications for revising scholarly understanding of human development, especially when framed within relational developmental systems theories. We contrast the evidence in support of a relationally-integrated approach to biological and behavioural (psychological and social) processes with claims about links between evolution and human development emanating from an area of social/behavioural science, Evolutionary Psychology. We note the conceptual and empirical problems of Evolutionary Psychologyand, in turn, highlight the empirical utility of integrated biological and developmental science research framed by relational developmental systems theories. Conclusion We make recommendations for future, multidisciplinary research framed by relational developmental systems theories, and point to the implications of data derived from such work for applications to social policies and programmes.

Highlights

We summarize briefly contemporary scientific advances in evolutionary biology and epigenetics, and discuss their implications for revising scholarly understanding of human development, especially when framed within relational developmental systems theories
The aim of this review is to discuss the conceptual vacuity of evolutionary psychologyin light of these advances
Forexample, Bateson and Gluckman[9] observe that, “gene expression is profoundly influenced by factors external to the cell nucleus in which reside the molecules making up the genes: the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)

Summary

Introduction

We summarize briefly contemporary scientific advances in evolutionary biology and epigenetics, and discuss their implications for revising scholarly understanding of human development, especially when framed within relational developmental systems theories. Pigliucci and Müller[11] note that there is a, “view of ‘genes as followers’ in the evolutionary process, ensuring the routinisation of developmental interactions, the faithfulness of their inheritance, and the progressive fixation of phenotypic traits that were initially mobilised through plastic responses of adaptive developmental systems to changing environmental conditions. In this way, evolution progresses through the capture of emergent interactions into genetic-epigenetic circuits, which are passed to and elaborated on in subsequent generations.”

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion