L’articolo esplora alcuni aspetti legati all’intersezione disciplinare di due aree di ricerca che... more L’articolo esplora alcuni aspetti legati all’intersezione disciplinare di due aree di ricerca che, come testimonia la letteratura, sono oggetto di crescente interesse per epistemologi e storici delle scienze della vita. La biologia evoluzionistica dello sviluppo e l’ecologia dei sistemi hanno instaurato un rapporto reciprocamente fecondo, in concomitanza con l’affievolirsi della versione forte del neo-darwinismo e con il conseguente sviluppo dell’epigenetica, di ispirazione lamarckiana. Il neo-lamackismo indagato dagli autori consta di due aspetti essenziali: uno incentrato maggiormente sulla Teoria Evo-Devo e sulla selezione interna, l’altro sulla systems ecology e sull’estensione del concetto di ambiente.
The essay reviews three books: August Weismann by Frederick Churchill, Stations in The Field by R... more The essay reviews three books: August Weismann by Frederick Churchill, Stations in The Field by Raf de Bont, and Haeckel's Embryos by Nick Hopwood. By so doing, the essay analyzes the history of biology at the turn of the twentieth century, focusing on the uprising concepts of heredity, on the use of images to investigate and describe developmental processes, and on the institutions where that research happened. The essay argues for the relevance of institutional history and media studies in investigating the history of the biological concepts of heredity and development.
The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics is a book published in 1924, written by Paul
Kammerer... more The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics is a book published in 1924, written by Paul Kammerer, who studied developmental biology in Vienna, Austria, in the early twentieth century. The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics summarizes Kammerer's experiments, and explains their significance. In his book, Kammerer aims to explain how offspring inherit traits from their parents. Some scholars criticized Kammerer's reports and interpretations, arguing that they were inaccurate and misleading, while others supported Kammerer's work. Kammerer said that the results of his experiments demonstrated that organisms could adapt to different environments by acquiring new features during the course of their lifetimes, and that they transmitted those acquired features to their offspring.
Barbara McClintock worked on genetics in corn (maize) plants and spent most of her life conductin... more Barbara McClintock worked on genetics in corn (maize) plants and spent most of her life conducting research at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Laurel Hollow, New York. McClintock's research focused on reproduction and mutations in maize, and described the phenomenon of genetic crossover in chromosomes. Through her maize mutation experiments, McClintock observed transposons, or mobile elements of genes within the chromosome, which jump around the genome. McClintock received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her research on chromosome transposition. McClintock's work helped explain the behavior of chromosomes in organismal development and identified transposition as a cause of genetic variation.
The Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (Anton Dohrn Zoological Station) is a public research institut... more The Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (Anton Dohrn Zoological Station) is a public research institute focusing on biology and biodiversity. Hereafter called the Station, it was founded in Naples, Italy, in 1872 by Anton Dohrn. The type of research conducted at the Station has varied since it was created, though initial research focused on embryology. At the turn of the twentieth century, researchers at the Station established the sea urchin (Echinoidea) as a model organism for embryological research. A number of scientists conducted experiments on embryos and embryonic development at the Station from the 1890s to the 1930s, including Hans Driesch, Jacques Loeb, Theodor Boveri, Otto Warburg, Hans Spemann and Thomas Morgan. Research completed during this time at the Station contributed to the study of experimental embryology and developmental biology and helped shape the history of embryology.
Paul Kammerer conducted experiments on amphibians and marine animals at the Vivarium, a research ... more Paul Kammerer conducted experiments on amphibians and marine animals at the Vivarium, a research institute in Vienna, Austria, in the early twentieth century. Kammerer bred organisms in captivity, and he induced them to develop particular adaptations, which Kammerer claimed the organismss offspring would inherit. Kammerer argued that his results demonstrated the inheritance of acquired characteristics, or Lamarckian inheritance. The Lamarckian theory of inheritance posits that individuals transmit acquired traits to their offspring. Kammerer worked during a period in which scientists debated how variation between organisms and within species was caused, and how organisms could inherit that variation from their parents. Kammerer contended that the inheritance of acquired characteristics occurs during embryological development, but several scientists argued that he provided poor evidence for his claims.
In this story, intended for a broad audience, we review an article published in the American Jour... more In this story, intended for a broad audience, we review an article published in the American Journal of Human Genetics about human origins within a background that stresses historical narration. Population geneticists have long been publishing research on the origin of our species, reporting data collected by sequencing genes localized in the Y chromosome of people from different populations. In particular, research teams are debating about which part in Africa our species originated from, and a most research investigation has brought evidence showing that our species originated in West-Central Africa. This story is about the sense of historical investigation, and aims to show that genetics helps shed light on historical phenomena. Ultimately, we show that the concept of evolution links genetic research to historical investigation.
L’articolo esplora alcuni aspetti legati all’intersezione disciplinare di due aree di ricerca che... more L’articolo esplora alcuni aspetti legati all’intersezione disciplinare di due aree di ricerca che, come testimonia la letteratura, sono oggetto di crescente interesse per epistemologi e storici delle scienze della vita. La biologia evoluzionistica dello sviluppo e l’ecologia dei sistemi hanno instaurato un rapporto reciprocamente fecondo, in concomitanza con l’affievolirsi della versione forte del neo-darwinismo e con il conseguente sviluppo dell’epigenetica, di ispirazione lamarckiana. Il neo-lamackismo indagato dagli autori consta di due aspetti essenziali: uno incentrato maggiormente sulla Teoria Evo-Devo e sulla selezione interna, l’altro sulla systems ecology e sull’estensione del concetto di ambiente.
The essay reviews three books: August Weismann by Frederick Churchill, Stations in The Field by R... more The essay reviews three books: August Weismann by Frederick Churchill, Stations in The Field by Raf de Bont, and Haeckel's Embryos by Nick Hopwood. By so doing, the essay analyzes the history of biology at the turn of the twentieth century, focusing on the uprising concepts of heredity, on the use of images to investigate and describe developmental processes, and on the institutions where that research happened. The essay argues for the relevance of institutional history and media studies in investigating the history of the biological concepts of heredity and development.
The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics is a book published in 1924, written by Paul
Kammerer... more The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics is a book published in 1924, written by Paul Kammerer, who studied developmental biology in Vienna, Austria, in the early twentieth century. The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics summarizes Kammerer's experiments, and explains their significance. In his book, Kammerer aims to explain how offspring inherit traits from their parents. Some scholars criticized Kammerer's reports and interpretations, arguing that they were inaccurate and misleading, while others supported Kammerer's work. Kammerer said that the results of his experiments demonstrated that organisms could adapt to different environments by acquiring new features during the course of their lifetimes, and that they transmitted those acquired features to their offspring.
Barbara McClintock worked on genetics in corn (maize) plants and spent most of her life conductin... more Barbara McClintock worked on genetics in corn (maize) plants and spent most of her life conducting research at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Laurel Hollow, New York. McClintock's research focused on reproduction and mutations in maize, and described the phenomenon of genetic crossover in chromosomes. Through her maize mutation experiments, McClintock observed transposons, or mobile elements of genes within the chromosome, which jump around the genome. McClintock received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her research on chromosome transposition. McClintock's work helped explain the behavior of chromosomes in organismal development and identified transposition as a cause of genetic variation.
The Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (Anton Dohrn Zoological Station) is a public research institut... more The Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (Anton Dohrn Zoological Station) is a public research institute focusing on biology and biodiversity. Hereafter called the Station, it was founded in Naples, Italy, in 1872 by Anton Dohrn. The type of research conducted at the Station has varied since it was created, though initial research focused on embryology. At the turn of the twentieth century, researchers at the Station established the sea urchin (Echinoidea) as a model organism for embryological research. A number of scientists conducted experiments on embryos and embryonic development at the Station from the 1890s to the 1930s, including Hans Driesch, Jacques Loeb, Theodor Boveri, Otto Warburg, Hans Spemann and Thomas Morgan. Research completed during this time at the Station contributed to the study of experimental embryology and developmental biology and helped shape the history of embryology.
Paul Kammerer conducted experiments on amphibians and marine animals at the Vivarium, a research ... more Paul Kammerer conducted experiments on amphibians and marine animals at the Vivarium, a research institute in Vienna, Austria, in the early twentieth century. Kammerer bred organisms in captivity, and he induced them to develop particular adaptations, which Kammerer claimed the organismss offspring would inherit. Kammerer argued that his results demonstrated the inheritance of acquired characteristics, or Lamarckian inheritance. The Lamarckian theory of inheritance posits that individuals transmit acquired traits to their offspring. Kammerer worked during a period in which scientists debated how variation between organisms and within species was caused, and how organisms could inherit that variation from their parents. Kammerer contended that the inheritance of acquired characteristics occurs during embryological development, but several scientists argued that he provided poor evidence for his claims.
In this story, intended for a broad audience, we review an article published in the American Jour... more In this story, intended for a broad audience, we review an article published in the American Journal of Human Genetics about human origins within a background that stresses historical narration. Population geneticists have long been publishing research on the origin of our species, reporting data collected by sequencing genes localized in the Y chromosome of people from different populations. In particular, research teams are debating about which part in Africa our species originated from, and a most research investigation has brought evidence showing that our species originated in West-Central Africa. This story is about the sense of historical investigation, and aims to show that genetics helps shed light on historical phenomena. Ultimately, we show that the concept of evolution links genetic research to historical investigation.
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Papers by Federica Turriziani Colonna
Kammerer, who studied developmental biology in Vienna, Austria, in the early twentieth
century. The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics summarizes Kammerer's experiments,
and explains their significance. In his book, Kammerer aims to explain how offspring inherit
traits from their parents. Some scholars criticized Kammerer's reports and interpretations,
arguing that they were inaccurate and misleading, while others supported Kammerer's work.
Kammerer said that the results of his experiments demonstrated that organisms could adapt
to different environments by acquiring new features during the course of their lifetimes, and
that they transmitted those acquired features to their offspring.
McClintock's research focused on reproduction and mutations in maize, and described the phenomenon of genetic crossover in chromosomes. Through her maize mutation experiments, McClintock observed transposons, or mobile elements of genes within the chromosome, which jump around the genome. McClintock received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her research on chromosome transposition. McClintock's work helped explain the behavior of chromosomes in organismal development and identified transposition as a cause of genetic variation.
Naples, Italy, in 1872 by Anton Dohrn. The type of research conducted at the Station has varied since it was created, though initial research focused on embryology. At the turn of the
twentieth century, researchers at the Station established the sea urchin (Echinoidea) as a model organism for embryological research. A number of scientists conducted experiments on embryos and embryonic development at the Station from the 1890s to the 1930s, including Hans Driesch, Jacques Loeb, Theodor Boveri, Otto Warburg, Hans Spemann and Thomas Morgan. Research completed during this time at the Station contributed to the study of experimental embryology and developmental biology and helped shape the history of embryology.
Population geneticists have long been publishing research on the origin of our species, reporting data collected by sequencing genes localized in the Y chromosome of people from different populations. In particular, research teams are debating about which part in Africa our species originated from, and a most research investigation has brought evidence showing that our species originated in West-Central Africa.
This story is about the sense of historical investigation, and aims to show that genetics helps shed light on historical phenomena. Ultimately, we show that the concept of evolution links genetic research to historical investigation.
Kammerer, who studied developmental biology in Vienna, Austria, in the early twentieth
century. The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics summarizes Kammerer's experiments,
and explains their significance. In his book, Kammerer aims to explain how offspring inherit
traits from their parents. Some scholars criticized Kammerer's reports and interpretations,
arguing that they were inaccurate and misleading, while others supported Kammerer's work.
Kammerer said that the results of his experiments demonstrated that organisms could adapt
to different environments by acquiring new features during the course of their lifetimes, and
that they transmitted those acquired features to their offspring.
McClintock's research focused on reproduction and mutations in maize, and described the phenomenon of genetic crossover in chromosomes. Through her maize mutation experiments, McClintock observed transposons, or mobile elements of genes within the chromosome, which jump around the genome. McClintock received the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1983 for her research on chromosome transposition. McClintock's work helped explain the behavior of chromosomes in organismal development and identified transposition as a cause of genetic variation.
Naples, Italy, in 1872 by Anton Dohrn. The type of research conducted at the Station has varied since it was created, though initial research focused on embryology. At the turn of the
twentieth century, researchers at the Station established the sea urchin (Echinoidea) as a model organism for embryological research. A number of scientists conducted experiments on embryos and embryonic development at the Station from the 1890s to the 1930s, including Hans Driesch, Jacques Loeb, Theodor Boveri, Otto Warburg, Hans Spemann and Thomas Morgan. Research completed during this time at the Station contributed to the study of experimental embryology and developmental biology and helped shape the history of embryology.
Population geneticists have long been publishing research on the origin of our species, reporting data collected by sequencing genes localized in the Y chromosome of people from different populations. In particular, research teams are debating about which part in Africa our species originated from, and a most research investigation has brought evidence showing that our species originated in West-Central Africa.
This story is about the sense of historical investigation, and aims to show that genetics helps shed light on historical phenomena. Ultimately, we show that the concept of evolution links genetic research to historical investigation.