Did we get evolution completely wrong? | Richard Dawkins vs Denis Noble

Episode Overview

• Biologist Denis Noble challenges the purely gene-centric view of evolution, arguing that organisms have agency in selecting which genes survive.
• Richard Dawkins initially questions Noble's premise but then reframes it as a standard part of Darwinian sexual selection.
• The conversation pivots on the surprising and historically accurate claim that Charles Darwin himself held Lamarckian beliefs.
• Noble details a modern biological mechanism that demonstrates how environmental signals can influence the genome, supporting the idea of acquired characteristics being inherited.

Key Concepts

• Agency in Evolution: The idea that organisms are not merely passive vehicles for their genes, but active agents whose behaviors and choices (e.g., mate selection or "social selection") directly influence evolutionary outcomes.
• Lamarckian Inheritance: The concept that an organism can pass on characteristics it has acquired during its lifetime to its offspring. Denis Noble argues that modern biology has uncovered mechanisms that make this possible.
• Darwin as a Lamarckian: Noble points out that Charles Darwin, particularly in his later work, accepted the idea of the inheritance of acquired characteristics, a view contrary to the modern "neo-Darwinian" synthesis.
• Soma-to-Germline Communication: Noble explains a biological pathway where environmental signals at the cell's surface (the soma) can be transmitted to the nucleus and ultimately influence the germline (the inherited genetic material). This involves calcium signaling, tubulins acting as "train tracks," and messenger molecules that alter gene expression and can even induce genome changes.

Quotes

• At 00:00 - "I think what organisms are doing is partly through their social choices, effectively choosing which genes they will allow to survive." - Denis Noble introducing his argument that organisms are active participants in evolution, not just passive carriers of genes.
• At 00:22 - "This is perfectly Darwinian what you're talking about." - Richard Dawkins attempting to frame Noble's concept of "social choice" within the established framework of Darwinian selection.
• At 00:27 - "Yes, absolutely, I agree! And Darwin... Darwin was a Lamarckian!" - Denis Noble delivering a surprising counterpoint, highlighting that Darwin's own views were more complex than modern interpretations often suggest.
• At 01:58 - "What they've shown is best described by imagining, first of all, that a single nucleotide is about the size of my fist... on that scale, the surface membrane of that cell would be way up in Scotland." - Denis Noble using a powerful metaphor to illustrate the vast distance a signal must travel from the cell's surface to the nucleus to influence the genome.

Takeaways

• Re-examine the foundational figures of science with nuance; historical figures like Darwin held more complex and evolving views (including Lamarckian ideas) than the simplified theories often attributed to them.
• Recognize that organisms are active agents in their own evolution through behaviors like mate choice, which act as a powerful selective force on the gene pool.
• Understand that the separation between an organism's body (soma) and its inherited genes (germline) may not be absolute, as modern biology is revealing mechanisms for the environment to influence heredity.