The Dissenter

#1127 Jonathan Losos - Improbable Destinies: Fate, Chance, and the Future of Evolution

Jul 24, 2025
Jonathan Losos, a distinguished evolutionary biology professor, shares fascinating insights from his work on evolutionary change. He discusses how chance events, like the dinosaurs' extinction, shape evolution, alongside natural selection and genetic drift. The conversation dives into groundbreaking guppy studies on mate preference and colors, as well as the unpredictable nature of evolution, emphasizing that even genetically identical organisms can evolve differently. Losos also reflects on the improbability of Earth-like life forms elsewhere in the universe, challenging common sci-fi tropes.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Gould's Evolutionary Insights

  • Stephen Jay Gould introduced punctuated equilibrium: species remain unchanged for long periods, then rapidly evolve during speciation.
  • He emphasized evolution involves more than just natural selection, including other processes influencing species diversity.
INSIGHT

Beyond Natural Selection Mechanisms

  • Besides natural selection, gene flow, mutations, inbreeding, and genetic drift play vital roles in evolution.
  • Genetic drift causes random evolutionary changes especially in small populations, valued highly by Gould.
INSIGHT

Convergent Evolution Challenges Unpredictability

  • Convergent evolution occurs when unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar environments.
  • This phenomenon suggests evolution can be predictable, challenging Gould's argument on evolution's unpredictability.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app