Mutationism definition of Mutationism in the Free Online Encyclopedia.

Mutationism

a biological concept that regards evolution as a discontinuous process resulting from major isolated hereditary changes.

According to mutationism, changes called macromutations, or saltations, arise in individuals of an original species and immediately create new life forms which, if environmental factors are favorable, become the progenitors of new species. Mutationism considers evolution to be the result of an.internal factor, hereditary change. The theory thus denies that external factors such as natural selection are the motivating force behind evolution. Natural selection is treated as a factor that limits the variety of life forms by eliminating species that are incompatible with the environment. Mutationism is close in this respect to autogenesis. It differs from autogenesis in that it does not view evolution as a continuous process.

Mutationism is not a single theory. Alternate views of evolution have been espoused by several researchers. H. De Vries, who formulated the mutation theory of evolution, was the original proponent of mutationism. Views similar to mutationism underlie the theory of preadaptation, advanced by the French biologist L. Cuénot; the theory of saltation, advanced by the German biologist R. Goldschmidt; and some other less familiar theories.

REFERENCES

Sovremennye problemy evoliutsionnoi teorii. Leningrad, 1967.
Shmal’gauzen, I. I. Problemy darvinizma. 2nd ed. Leningrad, 1969.
Goldschmidt, R. The Material Basis of Evolution. New Haven-London, 1944.
Cuénot, L. L’Evolution biologique. Paris, 1951.

A. S. SEVERTSOV

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No references found	In the Netherlands, Hugo de Vries advanced a new evolutionary theory known as mutationism which essentially rejected natural selection as a major evolutionary process. Origin of genetic information and evolution of biological species by Wahid, Pallacken Abdul / Islam & Science	Mut l-ard mutable mutable gene Mutafchiev, Petr Stoianov Mutagen mutagen persistence mutagen specificity Mutagenesis Mutagens and carcinogens Mutal Burkhanov Mutal Muzainovich Burkhanov Mutanabbi, Al- Mutanchiang Mutankiang Mutant Mutare Mutarotation Mutase Mutation mutation fixation mutation hot spot Mutation Pressure Mutation Testing Mutation Theory Mutation, Somatic Mutationism mutator phenotype Mutazilites Mute Mute Swan Muteness Mutesa I mutex muthmannite muti Muti, Riccardo Mutianus Rufus Mutilation Mutillidae Mutina War muting circuit muting switch mutiny Mutiny on the Bounty Mutis, José Celestino Mutism Muton Mutran, Khalil Mutsu Mutsuhito mutt	Mutation load Mutation load Mutation load Mutation of libel Mutation Pressure Mutation rate Mutation rate Mutation rate Mutation rate Mutation Repair Mutation Specific Oligonucleotide Hybridization Mutation Specific Polymerase Chain Reaction mutation stop Mutation testing Mutation theory Mutation, Somatic Mutation, Somatic Mutation, Somatic mutational mutational mutational mutational Mutational load Mutational load Mutational load Mutationalism mutationally mutationally mutationally mutationally Mutationism Mutations Mutations Mutations Mutations Mutatis mutandi Mutatis mutandi mutatis mutandis mutatis mutandis mutative mutative Mutato Mutato Mutato Mutator Mutator mutator phenotype Mutators Mutators Mutawa Mutawa'een Mutaween Mutazilite Mutazilites MUTB MUTC MUTCD Mutch mutches mutchkin mutchkins

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In the Netherlands, Hugo de Vries advanced a new evolutionary theory known as mutationism which essentially rejected natural selection as a major evolutionary process.

Origin of genetic information and evolution of biological species by Wahid, Pallacken Abdul / Islam & Science