The Triple Helix and The Beak of the Finch

The Triple Helix written by Richard Lewontin and The Beak of the Finch written by Jonathan Weiner transport the reader to the world of evolutionary theories. Although both authors discuss the evolution of species, they take distinctive and different approaches as they describe to the reader their specific scope of evolution itself. These differences are seen throughout both novels and the conclusions made on evolution from both authors challenge each reader’s individual belief on natural selection, genes, and the environment itself.

Lewontin acknowledges that the The Triple Helix has a “distinctly negative flavor” (pg. 109) to explaining how a reductionist approach may lead us to formulating an incomplete picture of biological processes of living organisms. Although the author may have wrote the book with this mindset, The Triple Helix reiterates that genes are not the only factor for living organisms development, but it is a extraordinary relationship of genes, organism, and environment that influence the biological processes for an organism to succeed.

The first chapter of Lewontin’s argument, “Gene and Organism”, focuses on the problem of relying on genetics for all the answers to organism development. For example, the Drosophila (or fruit fly) shows a mutation on the development of its head. A normal fly has antennas, while the Drosophila replaces the antennas with “leg-like appendages” (Figure 1.2, pg. 15). Lewontin explains that these dramatic gene mutations convince established biologists that variation within organisms must have occurred because of genetic differences (pg. 15). However, the environment plays a tremendous role in organism development, “a unique interaction between genes and [an organism], and random ...

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...researcher indicate value to Lewontin’s theory on evolution. The dynamic processes of Grants findings, however, would not fit ideally into Triple Helix.

To conclude Richard Lewontin’s The Triple Helix and The Beak of the Finch written by Jonathan Weiner engaged the reader to view evolutionary theory in juxtaposing lenses. While Lewontin has strong opinions towards modern evolutionary biologists, Weiner praises Peter and Rosemary Grant for their work following Darwin’s Origin of Species. Finally, the conclusions constructed by both authors transport the reader to the enthralling world of evolutionary biology and all of its differences.

Work Cited

Lewontin, Richard C.. The Triple Helix: Gene, Organism, and Environment. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2000. Print.

Weiner, Jonathan. The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time. New York: Knopf, 1994. Print.