The field of evolutionary biology has a rich and complex history, marked by periods of consensus and significant theoretical shifts. The cornerstone of modern evolutionary thought for much of the 20th century was the Modern Synthesis (MS), a theoretical framework that integrated Darwin’s theory of natural selection with Mendelian genetics.
It provided a powerful and elegant explanation for how evolution occurs, emphasizing the gradual accumulation of genetic mutations and their differential survival in a population. However, in recent decades, a growing body of evidence has begun to challenge the sufficiency of the MS, leading to the development of a new, more comprehensive framework: the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis (EES).
