The Extended Phenotype The Long Reach of the Gene
The Extended Phenotype: The Long Reach of the Gene by Richard Dawkins is a thought-provoking exploration of evolution, published by Oxford University Press in 1982. This new edition spans 307 pages and is presented in English. Dawkins challenges the traditional view of evolution as a competition among individuals, proposing instead that it is a struggle between genes. He encourages readers to consider phenotypes—observable traits influenced by genes—as tools that serve the evolutionary interests of those genes.
In this edition, Dawkins elaborates on his argument that the body, personality, and environment can be seen as arenas for genetic competition. He presents a compelling case for understanding evolution through the lens of genetic expression, likening it to an “arms race” among genes. This book delves into the intricate world of genetics, offering insights that extend the conventional understanding of survival and adaptation. Readers will find a lively discussion that invites them to rethink the dynamics of evolution and the role of genetics in shaping life.
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People commonly view evolution as a process of competition between individuals–known as “survival of the fittest”–with the individual representing the “unit of selection.” Richard Dawkins offers a controversial reinterpretation of that idea in The Extended Phenotype, now being reissued to coincide with the publication of the second edition of his highly-acclaimed The Selfish Gene. He proposes that we look at evolution as a battle between genes instead of between whole organisms. We can then view Nanges in phenotypes–the end products of genes, like eye color or leaf shape, which are usually considered to increase the fitness of an individual–as serving the evolutionary interests of genes.
Dawkins makes a convincing case that considering one’s body, personality, and environment as a field of combat in a kind of “arms race” between genes fighting to express themselves on a strand of DNA can clarify and extend the idea of survival of the fittest. This influential and controversial book illuminates the complex world of genetics in an engaging, lively manner.
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