Definition
orthogeneses
noun
- Plural of orthogenesis; the theory that evolution follows a predetermined, directional path independent of natural selection.
Usage: biology; historical; largely discredited in modern evolutionary theory
Examples
- Early 20th-century biologists debated orthogeneses as an alternative to Darwinian evolution.
- The concept of orthogeneses has been largely abandoned in favor of modern evolutionary synthesis.
- Some paleontologists once invoked orthogeneses to explain linear trends in fossil records.
- Orthogeneses implied that organisms evolved toward predetermined endpoints rather than adapting to environments.