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Perspecitves on Molecular Evolution, CalTech

Large historical site maintained by a good historian of evolutionary biology, Michael Dietrich.

Among other things:
  • Full transcript and video clips from a conference on the history of the neutral theory:
Richard Lewontin's presentation:
Will Provine's presentation:

Panel Discussion:

Some clips of Lewontin and Dobzhansky from a 1973 BBC special, The Life Game:Many documents on molecular evolutionary theory, from the site:
Online Publications
  • J. Buettner-Janusch and R. Hill, "Evolution of Hemoglobin in Primates," in Evolving Genes and Proteins, eds. V. Bryson and H. Vogel (New York: Academic Press, 1965). pp. 167-181
    [Summary] [PDF 860K]

  • Brian Clarke, "Darwinian Evolution of Proteins," Science 168 (1970), 1009-1011.
    [Summary] [PDF 737K]
  • J. L. Hubby and R. C. Lewontin, "A Molecular Approach to the Study of Genic Heterozygosity in Natural Populations. I. The Number of Alleles at Different Loci in Drosophila pseudoobscura," Genetics 54 (1966): 546-595.
     [Summary] [PDF 3MB]
  • Motoo Kimura, "Evolutionary Rate at the Molecular Level," Nature 217 (1968), 624-626.
    [Summary] [PDF 219K]

  • Motoo Kimura and James Crow, "The Number of Alleles that Can Be Maintained in a Finite Population," Genetics 49 (1964), pp. 725-738.
     [PDF 724K]
  • Jack L. King, "This Week's Citation Classic," Current Contents 34 (1983), 25.
    [Summary] [PDF 440K]

  • Jack King and Thomas Jukes, "Non-Darwinian Evolution," Science 164 (1969), 788-798.
     [Summary] [PDF 3MB]

  • Thomas Jukes, “Early Development of the Neutral Theory,” Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 34 (1991) 473-485.
     [PDF 3MB]

  • R.C. Lewontin, The Genetic Basis of Evolutionary Change (New York: Columbia University Press, 1974).

  • R. C. Lewontin, "Twenty-five ears Ago in Genetics: Electrophoresis in the Development of Evolutionary Genetics: Milestone or Millstone?," Genetics 128 (1991) 657-662.
    • [PDF 648K]

  • R. C. Lewontin and J. L. Hubby, "A Molecular Approach to the Study of Genic Heterozygosity in Natural Populations. II. Amount of Variation and Degree of Heterozygosity in Natural Populations of Drosophila pseudoobscura," Genetics 54 (1966): 595-609.
     [Summary] [PDF 1010K]

  • R. C. Lewontin and J. Krakauer, “Distribution of Gene Frequency as a Test of the Theory of the Selective Neutrality of Polymorphisms,” Genetics 74 (1973) 175-195.
    [PDF 1010K]

  • G. G. Simpson, "Organisms and Molecules in Evolution," Science 146 (1964), 1535-1538.
     [Summary] [PDF 1MB]

  • Ward B. Watt, "Allozymes in Evolutionary Genetics: Self-Imposed burden or Extraordinary Tool?," Genetics 136 (1994) 11-16.
    [PDF 680K]

  • Emile Zuckerkandl and Linus Pauling, "Evolutionary Divergence and Convergence in Proteins," in Evolving Genes and Proteins, eds. V. Bryson and H. Vogel (New York: Academic Press, 1965). pp. 97-166.
     [Summary] [PDF 4.2MB]

    Online Unpublished Documents

Correspondence between Jack King and Theodosius Dobzhansky, 1970.

This fascinating set of letters centers on a comment that Dobzhansky made to King at a conference regarding King's belief in the reality of non-Darwinian evolution. In addition to the highly detailed scientific minutiae that scientists regularly discuss amongst themselves, one feels a real appreciation for the personal relationship between these two men. In the first letter King defends his belief in non-Darwinian evolution by outlining and critiquing the four "legs" upon which it has rested. Towards the end of the letter, King also describes what he teaches his students about the personality clashes that dominated the classical/balance controversy. Dobzhansky opens his reply by telling King that he only meant to say that King was not "constrained" by his belief in non-Darwinian evolution, unlike others such as Crow and Kimura. He then goes on to explain that he has never been a "hyperselectionist" and that the problem of selection vs. drift has had a long history that proponents of non-Darwinian evolution ignore. He then explains why he thinks that the four legs upon which non-Darwinian evolution rests seem to be "very shaky." In the third letter in this series, King responds to Dobzhansky's critique that the apparent Poisson distribution of amino acid changes in various proteins (one of the legs) is problematic. He then discusses various cases in which it appears that proteins have changed at different rates throughout evolutionary history. He concludes with a discussion of the mut-T and the different predictions that emerge from Darwinian and non-Darwinian theories of evolution.

Transcript of 1963 Macy Conference

The Fifth Macy Conference on Genetics, held November 3-6, 1963 at Princeton University, brought together several well-known geneticists of that time period to discuss important issues in population genetics. This conference took place just before the emergence of the field of molecular evolution. Attendees included: Walter Bodmer, James Crow, Everett Dempster, Theodosius Dobzhansky, L.C. Dunn, Barry Falconer, Dick Lewontin, Howard Levene, H.J. Muller, James Neel, Bruce Wallace, and Jack Schull, among others. The format of the conference was short individual presentations followed by an informal free-for-all discussion. Fortunately, a stenographer was present throughout the conference to preserve the interactions of these scientists. We have posted the entire transcript, dividing it up by sessions. Although we have only listed the paper titles, there is extensive discussion and debate among the scientists recorded throughout the transcript. (To get to the Table of Contents, click on the heading above.)

Scientists in Open War over "Neutral Theory"

And here are three more talks by Lewontin and one classic article:

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