Non-darwinian theories of biological evolution

Abstract

The article presents material related to evolutionary theories such as Berg’s nomogenesis, Kimura’s theory of neutral evolution, and neo-Lamarckism, the content of which is opposed to Darwin’s doctrine of natural selection as a leading factor in biological evolution. Nomogenesis, a hypothesis according to which the evolution of organisms is based on internal laws. The general thesis of Berg’s worldview was that evolution occurs naturally, in accordance with a pre-existing – pre-established – law of development. The neutral theory of molecular evolution was put forward by Motoo Kimura. It argues that the vast majority of mutations at the molecular level are neutral in nature with respect to the action of natural selection. Thus, the theory of neutral evolution contradicted Darwinism, pointing to the fixation of neutral mutations in the population without the participation of natural selection. Neo-Lamarckism is a combination of three heterogeneous trends in evolutionary doctrine. Despite the fact that neo-Lamarckists have deviated from the basic postulates of Lamarck, most of their concepts contain two provisions that correspond to Lamarck's laws. The first is the recognition of adequate variability that occurs under the direct or indirect influence of the environment and creates well-acquired adaptive traits. The second is the inheritance of similar traits in individual life.