- Atavism
The term atavism (derived from the Latin "atavus", a great-grandfather's grandfather and, thus, more generally, an ancestor) denotes the tendency to revert to ancestral type. An atavism is an
evolution ary throwback, such as traits reappearing which had disappeared generations ago.cite web|url=http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/comdesc/section2.html#atavisms|title=29+ Evidences for Macroevolution: Part 2|author=TalkOrigins Archive|authorlink=TalkOrigins Archive|accessdate=2006-11-08] Atavisms occur becausegene s for previously existing phenotypical features are often preserved inDNA , even though the genes are not expressed in some or most of the organisms possessing them.Examples
Examples observed include:
*hind legs onwhale s
*hind fins ondolphin s
*extra toes onhorse s, as in archaic horses
* reemergence ofsexual reproduction in "Hieracium pilosella " andCrotoniidae [Norton, R. (2007), "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences", April 24, cited in "Science News", vol. 171, p. 302]Atavisms have been observed in humans as well. For example, babies have been born with a
vestigial tail , called "coccygeal process", "coccygeal projection", and "caudal appendage". It can also be evidenced in humans who possess large teeth, like those of other apes. [ [http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-tails15feb15,0,283979.story?coll=la-opinion-leftrail What our tails tell us - Los Angeles Times ] ]Atavism in history
During the interval between the acceptance of
evolution and the rise of modern understanding ofgenetics , atavism was used to account for the reappearance in an individual of a trait after several generations of absence. Such an individual was sometimes called a "throwback". The term is often used in connection with the unexpected reappearance of primitive traits inorganism s.The notion of atavism was used frequently by social Darwinists, who claimed that inferior races displayed atavistic traits, and represented more primitive traits than their own race. Both the notion of atavism, and Haeckel's
recapitulation theory , are saturated with notions of evolution as progress, as a march towards greater complexity and superior ability.In addition, the concept of atavism as part of an individualistic explanation of the causes of criminal deviance was popularised by the Italian criminologist
Cesare Lombroso in the 1870s. He attempted to identify physical characteristics common to criminals and labeled those he found as atavistic, ‘throwback’ traits that determined 'primitive' criminal behavior. His statistical evidence and the notion that physical traits determine inevitable criminality (an idea closely related to the concepts ofeugenics ) have long since been debunked, but the concept that physical traits may affect the likelihood of criminal behavior in the individual remains popular in some circles.Fact|date=April 2008The notion that somehow, atavisms could be made to accumulate by
selective breeding led to breeds such as theHeck cattle . This had been bred from ancientlandrace s with selected primitive traits, in an attempt of "reviving" theextinct aurochs .Cultural references to atavism
The term atavism is sometimes also applied in the discussion of culture. Some social scientists describe the return of older, "more primitive" tendencies (e.g., warlike attitudes, "
clan identity," etc. -- anything suggesting the social and political atmosphere of thousands of years ago) as "atavistic." "Resurgent Atavism " is a common name for the belief that people in the modern era are beginning to revert to ways of thinking and acting that are throwbacks to a former time. This is especially used by sociologists in reference to violence.The
neo-pagan subculture also uses this same terminology ("atavism" or "resurgent atavism ") to describe how modern, Western countries are experiencing both the decline ofChristianity and the rise of religious movements inspired by the pagan religions of centuries past. Some cite the rise ofenvironmentalism , scientific inquiry, and liberalization of society as contributing to an increasingly secular society, one in which religious sentiments are more frequently tied with an appreciation of the physical world rather than set against it.Fact|date=April 2007 Occasionally, the use of these terms in reference to "alternative"spirituality or in anoccult context implies the use of violence to assert these changing religious views--for example, in the book "Lords of Chaos" a rash of church burnings acrossScandinavia has been described as a part of this trend because many of the perpetrators were self-described "pagans" seeking to overthrow what they deemed to be centuries ofreligious oppression by Christianity.Atavism is a key term in
Joseph Schumpeter 's explanation ofWorld War I in 20th Century liberalEurope . He defends the liberal belief ininternational relations that an international society built on commerce will avoid war because of its destructiveness andcomparative cost . His reason for WWI is termed "Atavism," in which he claims the vestigial governments in Europe (theGerman Empire ,Russian Empire ,Ottoman Empire , andAustro-Hungarian Empire ) pulled the liberal Europe into war, and that the liberal structure of the continent did not cause it. He used this idea to say thatliberalism and commerce would continue to have a soothing effect in international relations, and that war would not arise in nations who are built on commercial ties.See also
*
Vestigiality
*Atavistic regression
*Exaptation
*Spandrel (biology) External links
* [http://www.jbjs.org.uk/cgi/reprint/62-B/4/508.pdf Photograph, X-ray and description of three cases of human tail]
* [http://www.paediatrie-in-bildern.de/modules.php?op=modload&name=My_eGallery&file=index&do=showgall&gid=110 Photographs of additional nipples along the milk lines of man and woman] (German)
* [http://www.scheffel.og.bw.schule.de/faecher/science/biologie/evolution/2befunde/atav.gifPhotograph of an additional (third) hoof of cows]References
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