Why was developmental biology left out of the "modern synthesis" of evolution as it developed in the 1930s and 1940s?
A) Many developmental biologists believed that evolution progresses by rapid jumps, not slow and gradual change.
B) It was widely felt that development and genetics had to be "properly separated" for either to make any progress.
C) Many developmental biologists focused on "structuralist" explanations of evolution.
D) The genetic mechanisms of development were poorly understood at the time.
E) All of the above.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Developmental biology was left out of the "modern synthesis" for several reasons: many developmental biologists supported theories of evolution by rapid jumps contrary to the gradualism of the modern synthesis; there was a belief in the necessity of separating genetics and development to advance in either field; developmental biologists often pursued structuralist explanations that didn't align with the population genetics focus of the modern synthesis; and the genetic mechanisms underlying development were not well understood, making it difficult to integrate developmental biology into the synthesis.

Why Was Developmental Biology Left Out of the "Modern Synthesis