Abbreviations Quote by Ronald Fisher
“Natural Selection is not Evolution. Yet, ever since the two words have been in common use, the theory of Natural Selection has been employed as a convenient abbreviation for the theory of Evolution by means of Natural Selection, put forward by Darwin and Wallace. This has had the unfortunate consequence that the theory of Natural Selection itself has scarcely ever, if ever, received separate consideration.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection, 1930
Natural Selection is often conflated with evolution, but they are distinct concepts; the former is a mechanism, the latter a broader process.
In simple terms: Selection is a part of evolution, not the whole story.
Key Takeaway
Separate the mechanism from the overall theory.
Themes
biology
science philosophy
misconception
education
Mood
educational
reflective
Type
explanatory
critical
When to use this quote
- biology curricula
- public science communication
- academic discourse
Key Concepts
evolutionary theory
natural selection
conceptual clarity
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we default to shorthand?
- How does conflation affect scientific understanding?
A Different Perspective
Simplifying can obscure nuance.
![“Natural selection eliminates and maybe maintains, but it doesn't create... Neo-Darwinists say that new species emerge when mutations occur and modify an organism. I was taught over and over again that the accumulation of random mutations led to evolutionary change [which] led to new species. I…” quote by Lynn Margulis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5b9/lynn-margulis-17073_biology_natural-selection-eliminates-and-maybe-m_397958.jpg)
![“The principle of natural selection is absolutely incompatible with the word of God. [It] contradicts the revealed relations of creation to its Creator.” quote by Samuel Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e68/samuel-wilberforce-60185_creation_the-principle-of-natural-selection-is-ab_351008.jpg)
![“[Coining the phrase "test of significance"] Critical tests of this kind may be called tests of significance, and when such tests are available we may discover whether a second sample is or is not significantly different from the first.” quote by Ronald Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ddb/ronald-fisher-14852_available_coining-the-phrase-test-of-significance_46951.jpg)
