Shifting balance theory Shifting balance theory The shifting balance theory is a theory of evolution proposed in 1932 by Sewall Wright, suggesting that adaptive evolution may proceed most quickly when a population divides into subpopulations with restricted gene flow. The name of the theory is borrowed from Wright's metaphor of fitness landscapes (evolutionary landscapes), attempting to explain how a population may move across an adaptive valley to a higher adaptive peak. According to the theory, this movement occurs in three steps: Although shifting balance theory has been influential in evolutionary biology, inspiring the theories of quantum evolution and punctuated equilibrium, little empirical evidence
Evolutionary Theory (journal) even went to state that the charge “cannot be expected of those without institutional or grant funds “, however partial charges were accepted. Each volume contained roughly 300 to 400 pages in total. "Evolutionary theory" is “not a substitute for others”. Thus, further solidifying that it was one of the more unconventional journals of its time. Van Valen even went so far as to state that the more “acceptable" a work is the less original it is- most certainly a quip at other major journals of the time. "Evolutionary theory" covered a wide variety of topics within evolution and biology.