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Evolutionary Developmental Biology pp 1–15Cite as

Conrad Hal Waddington (1905–1975)

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Abstract

Conrad Hal Waddington was a paleontologist, embryologist, geneticist, and philosopher. After more than a century, Waddington’s studies into the nature of developmental and evolutionary processes are increasingly recognized as a theoretical reference for contemporary evo-devo. Nonetheless, the complexity and the multifaceted impact of his theoretical approach make it difficult to form a clear and unitary picture of his life, works, and heritage. The chapter examines his early studies in experimental embryology and his pioneering work on epigenetics, which offered new insights into the internal connections between embryology, genetics, and evolution. The chapter concludes by examining the contemporary directions of research mostly influenced by Waddington, with particular attention to contemporary epigenetics and the study of the interplay between metaphysics and science.

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Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Laura Nuño de la Rosa and Gerd B. Müller for the opportunity to participate in this project. I am grateful for comments received on earlier versions of this chapter by Laura Nuño de la Rosa, Daniel J. Nicholson, Yawen Zou, Laurent Loison, and Andrea Raimondi. I would also like to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to Barbara Continenza, Scott Gilbert, Eva Jablonka, Marion Lamb, Paul Griffiths, Jan Baedke, Alan Love, and Laura Fanti for many discussions on Waddington’s work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Klosterneuburg, Austria

    Flavia Fabris

  2. Egenis – The Centre for the Study of Life Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    Flavia Fabris

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  1. Flavia Fabris
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Correspondence to Flavia Fabris .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The KLI Institute, Klosterneuburg, Austria

    Laura Nuno de la Rosa

  2. The KLI Institute, Klosterneuburg, Austria

    Gerd Müller

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK

    Daniel Nicholson

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Fabris, F. (2019). Conrad Hal Waddington (1905–1975). In: Nuno de la Rosa, L., Müller, G. (eds) Evolutionary Developmental Biology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33038-9_30-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33038-9_30-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33038-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33038-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Biomedicine and Life SciencesReference Module Biomedical and Life Sciences

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