Joel Velasco
Biographic Data
| ID | 6699004 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Joel Velasco |
| GIVEN NAMES | Joel |
| FAMILY NAME | Velasco |
| SIGNATURE | VELASCO J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Texas Tech University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-9936-985X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 6 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 29 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 6 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2013 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Deep Conventionalism about Evolutionary Groups
We reject a widespread objectivism about kinds of evolutionary groups in favor of a new conventionalism. Surprisingly, being any one kind of evolutionary group typically depends on which of many incompatible values are taken by suppressed variables. This novel pluralism underlies almost any single evolutionary group concept, unlike familiar pluralisms claiming that multiple concepts of certain sorts are legitimate. Consequently, we must help obje…
Philosophy and Phylogenetics
Phylogenetics is the study and reconstruction of evolutionary history and is filled with numerous foundational issues of interest to philosophers. This paper briefly introduces some central concepts in the field, describes some of the main methods for inferring phylogenies, and provides some arguments for the superiority of model-based methods such as Likelihood and Bayesian methods over nonparametric methods such as parsimony. It also raises som…
The Future of Systematics
Phylogenetic trees are meant to represent the genealogical history of life and apparently derive their justification from the existence of the tree of life and the fact that evolutionary processes are treelike. However, there are a number of problems for these assumptions. Here it is argued that once we understand the important role that phylogenetic trees play as models that contain idealizations, we can accept these criticisms and deny the real…
The Species Problem
The main goal of Richard Richards’s The Species Problem is "a comprehensive \nphilosophical understanding of the species problem: the use of multiple and \ninconsistent species concepts that group and divide biodiversity in conflicting \nways" (205). The goal of comprehensiveness leads Richards into a wide-ranging \nbook with contributions to ancient philosophy, the history of biology, Darwin \nscholarship, the philosophy of biology, metaphysics,…
Species, Genes, and the Tree of Life
A common view is that species occupy a unique position on the Tree of Life. Evaluating this claim requires an understanding of what the Tree of Life represents. The Tree represents history, but there are at least three biological levels that are often said to have genealogies: species, organisms, and genes. Here I focus on defending the plausibility of a gene-based account of the Tree. This leads to an account of species that are determined by ge…
Species concepts should not conflict with evolutionary history, but often do
Deep Conventionalism about Evolutionary Groups
We reject a widespread objectivism about kinds of evolutionary groups in favor of a new conventionalism. Surprisingly, being any one kind of evolutionary group typically depends on which of many incompatible values are taken by suppressed variables. This novel pluralism underlies almost any single evolutionary group concept, unlike familiar pluralisms claiming that multiple concepts of certain sorts are legitimate. Consequently, we must help obje…
The Future of Systematics
Phylogenetic trees are meant to represent the genealogical history of life and apparently derive their justification from the existence of the tree of life and the fact that evolutionary processes are treelike. However, there are a number of problems for these assumptions. Here it is argued that once we understand the important role that phylogenetic trees play as models that contain idealizations, we can accept these criticisms and deny the real…
Species concepts should not conflict with evolutionary history, but often do
Philosophy and Phylogenetics
Phylogenetics is the study and reconstruction of evolutionary history and is filled with numerous foundational issues of interest to philosophers. This paper briefly introduces some central concepts in the field, describes some of the main methods for inferring phylogenies, and provides some arguments for the superiority of model-based methods such as Likelihood and Bayesian methods over nonparametric methods such as parsimony. It also raises som…
Species, Genes, and the Tree of Life
A common view is that species occupy a unique position on the Tree of Life. Evaluating this claim requires an understanding of what the Tree of Life represents. The Tree represents history, but there are at least three biological levels that are often said to have genealogies: species, organisms, and genes. Here I focus on defending the plausibility of a gene-based account of the Tree. This leads to an account of species that are determined by ge…
Species concepts should not conflict with evolutionary history, but often do
Species, Genes, and the Tree of Life
A common view is that species occupy a unique position on the Tree of Life. Evaluating this claim requires an understanding of what the Tree of Life represents. The Tree represents history, but there are at least three biological levels that are often said to have genealogies: species, organisms, and genes. Here I focus on defending the plausibility of a gene-based account of the Tree. This leads to an account of species that are determined by ge…
The Species Problem
The main goal of Richard Richards’s The Species Problem is "a comprehensive \nphilosophical understanding of the species problem: the use of multiple and \ninconsistent species concepts that group and divide biodiversity in conflicting \nways" (205). The goal of comprehensiveness leads Richards into a wide-ranging \nbook with contributions to ancient philosophy, the history of biology, Darwin \nscholarship, the philosophy of biology, metaphysics,…
The Future of Systematics
Phylogenetic trees are meant to represent the genealogical history of life and apparently derive their justification from the existence of the tree of life and the fact that evolutionary processes are treelike. However, there are a number of problems for these assumptions. Here it is argued that once we understand the important role that phylogenetic trees play as models that contain idealizations, we can accept these criticisms and deny the real…
Deep Conventionalism about Evolutionary Groups
We reject a widespread objectivism about kinds of evolutionary groups in favor of a new conventionalism. Surprisingly, being any one kind of evolutionary group typically depends on which of many incompatible values are taken by suppressed variables. This novel pluralism underlies almost any single evolutionary group concept, unlike familiar pluralisms claiming that multiple concepts of certain sorts are legitimate. Consequently, we must help obje…
Philosophy and Phylogenetics
Phylogenetics is the study and reconstruction of evolutionary history and is filled with numerous foundational issues of interest to philosophers. This paper briefly introduces some central concepts in the field, describes some of the main methods for inferring phylogenies, and provides some arguments for the superiority of model-based methods such as Likelihood and Bayesian methods over nonparametric methods such as parsimony. It also raises som…
Philosophy and History of Science (6 works) · Biology (4 works) · Epistemology (4 works) · Philosophy (4 works) · Phylogenetics (4 works) · Evolution and Paleontology Studies (3 works) · Evolutionary biology (3 works) · Genealogy (3 works) · History (3 works) · Phylogenetic tree (3 works)