History Evolutionary medicine

charles darwin

charles darwin did not discuss implications of work medicine, though biologists appreciated germ theory of disease , implications understanding evolution of pathogens, organism’s need defend against them.

medicine, in turn, ignored evolution, , instead focused (as done in hard sciences) upon proximate mechanical causes.

medicine has modelled after mechanical physics, deriving galileo, newton, , descartes.... result of assuming model, medicine mechanistic, materialistic, reductionistic, linear-causal, , deterministic (capable of precise predictions) in concepts. seeks explanations diseases, or symptoms, signs, , cause in single, materialistic— i.e., anatomical or structural (e.g., in genes , products)— changes within body, wrought directly (linearly), example, infectious, toxic, or traumatic agents.

george c. williams first apply evolutionary theory health in context of senescence. in 1950s, john bowlby approached problem of disturbed child development evolutionary perspective upon attachment.

an important theoretical development nikolaas tinbergen’s distinction made in ethology between evolutionary , proximate mechanisms.

randolph m. nesse summarizes relevance medicine:

all biological traits need 2 kinds of explanation, both proximate , evolutionary. proximate explanation disease describes wrong in bodily mechanism of individuals affected it. evolutionary explanation different. instead of explaining why people different, explains why same in ways leave vulnerable disease. why have wisdom teeth, appendix, , cells can divide out of control?

the paper of paul ewald in 1980, “evolutionary biology , treatment of signs , symptoms of infectious disease”, , of williams , nesse in 1991, “the dawn of darwinian medicine” key developments. latter paper “draw favorable reception”, , led book, why sick (published evolution , healing in uk). in 2008, online journal started: evolution , medicine review.