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 of the self we may be aware of a decision we have made, but not the calculations that went into the decision as they are not capable to be understood by the conscious self. By attempting to take an evolutionary approach to understanding the self, the confrontation of self with the sense of self is avoided, in addition to, “all the problems that arise from an undue emphasis on consciousness.” As suggested by Munevar, research on the evolutionary theory of self needs to firstly examine the existence of distributed activation in the brain when doing a self-attribution task. Secondly, they need to examine