Abstract
In a recent paper, Hoquet (2020) provided an insightful historical view of the debate in evolutionary biology concerning Bateman's principles. The author discusses in detail the dynamics underpinning the ‘rise and fall’ of Bateman's principles within the framework of paradigm shifts and scientific revolutions by Thomas Kuhn (Kuhn, 1962).
While I thoroughly enjoyed the reading, there are few claims made by the author that, in my opinion, provided only partial accounts of the broader (scientific) literature around Bateman's principles. In doing so, I fear that the author imposes an overly negative impression of the usefulness of Bateman's principles in science, thereby obscuring their true value to the field of evolutionary biology. This negative view can ultimately hinder – rather than stimulate – future advances in evolutionary biology and ecology above and beyond the philosophical entertainment that Bateman's principles may provide.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the reading, there are few claims made by the author that, in my opinion, provided only partial accounts of the broader (scientific) literature around Bateman's principles. In doing so, I fear that the author imposes an overly negative impression of the usefulness of Bateman's principles in science, thereby obscuring their true value to the field of evolutionary biology. This negative view can ultimately hinder – rather than stimulate – future advances in evolutionary biology and ecology above and beyond the philosophical entertainment that Bateman's principles may provide.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | e1-e4 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Animal Behaviour |
| Volume | 168 |
| Early online date | 10 Sept 2020 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Oct 2020 |
Bibliographical note
AcknowledgmentsI thank Dr Marius Wenzel and Dr Davina Derous for useful comments on the early stages of this manuscript. I also thank Dr Stuart Wigby for the reading of the final version prior to submission. I thank Prof. Thierry Hoquet for insightful discussions on the opinions presented here; while our opinions may differ in some points, I have the utmost respect for your openness to read the original draft of this manuscript and send your comments to me. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge Prof. Stephen M. Shuster and one anonymous referee for valuable comments that improved readability and accuracy of the manuscript.
Keywords
- Bateman's principles
- mating systems
- natural selection
- sexual selection