Michael J. Wade
Encyclopedia
Michael J. Wade is a distinguished professor of biologyhttp://www.bio.indiana.edu/index.shtml at Indiana University Bloomington
. Since 2009 he has been the Associate Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs at Indiana University. He is also affiliated faculty in the following departments and centers at Indiana University: Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviorhttp://www.indiana.edu/~animal/ (CISAB), the Cognitive Science Programhttp://www.cogs.indiana.edu/, and the Department of History and Philosophy of Sciencehttp://www.indiana.edu/~hpscdept/.
from 1975 to 1998 (Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, 1975-1981; Associate Professor, Department of Biology, 1981-1986; Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionhttp://pondside.uchicago.edu/ecol-evol/, 1986-1998; Chair, Department of Ecology and Evolution, 1991-1998). He received his PhD from University of Chicago in 1975, under the joint tutelage of the ecologist
Thomas Park and the theoretical population geneticist
, Montgomery Slatkin (now at University of California, Berkeley
). His doctoral committee included the cicada ecologist, Monty Lloyd, the laboratory ecologist, David Byron Mertz, and the anuran systematist
, Robert Inger. Park arranged for him to meet and discuss his doctoral research with Sewall Wright
on several occasions. His dissertation, and subsequent research program, focused on the evolution, ecology, and genetics of flour beetles of the genus Tribolium
. At the earliest stages of his graduate career, he had been interested in the ecology of frogs in vernal ponds in Chicago
.
and epistasis
. Mechanisms and interactions at the population and genetic levels are often non-additive. Thus, explaining and predicting
many genetic and evolutionary phenomena in nature require understanding non-additive causal effects. As Richard Lewontin
wrote, "context and interaction are of the essence". In effect, Wade has found extensive empirical support, in the laboratory and in the field, for Sewall Wright's Shifting balance theory
, and also determined through significant mathematical modeling work that Wright's theory is robust and explanatorily powerful. Wade's results, in concert with other work by David Sloan Wilson
, helped rekindle the interest in, and highlight the importance of, group selection
in the biological community.
Wade has also done influential work on sexual selection
(see papers with Stevan Arnold, and book with Stephen Shuster, cited below), and the genetics of speciation
, stressing the need to consider variation within species as well as fixed differences among species. Recently, his work has turned to social evolution
and indirect genetic effects (e.g., maternal effects). Wade and his collaborators are increasingly employing rich genomics
data and turning to other model systems, such as social insects
.
In addition to biological topics, Wade is also interested in the history and philosophy of science
, politics, and literature. He has published on topics central to the philosophy of science, such as levels and units of selection
and causality
.
in 2007, in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 2008, and he was recognized with the Sewall Wright Award
in 2009.
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
. Since 2009 he has been the Associate Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs at Indiana University. He is also affiliated faculty in the following departments and centers at Indiana University: Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behaviorhttp://www.indiana.edu/~animal/ (CISAB), the Cognitive Science Programhttp://www.cogs.indiana.edu/, and the Department of History and Philosophy of Sciencehttp://www.indiana.edu/~hpscdept/.
Academic career
Wade was a professor at University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
from 1975 to 1998 (Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, 1975-1981; Associate Professor, Department of Biology, 1981-1986; Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionhttp://pondside.uchicago.edu/ecol-evol/, 1986-1998; Chair, Department of Ecology and Evolution, 1991-1998). He received his PhD from University of Chicago in 1975, under the joint tutelage of the ecologist
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
Thomas Park and the theoretical population geneticist
Population genetics
Population genetics is the study of allele frequency distribution and change under the influence of the four main evolutionary processes: natural selection, genetic drift, mutation and gene flow. It also takes into account the factors of recombination, population subdivision and population...
, Montgomery Slatkin (now at University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
). His doctoral committee included the cicada ecologist, Monty Lloyd, the laboratory ecologist, David Byron Mertz, and the anuran systematist
Systematics
Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of terrestrial life, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees...
, Robert Inger. Park arranged for him to meet and discuss his doctoral research with Sewall Wright
Sewall Wright
Sewall Green Wright was an American geneticist known for his influential work on evolutionary theory and also for his work on path analysis. With R. A. Fisher and J.B.S. Haldane, he was a founder of theoretical population genetics. He is the discoverer of the inbreeding coefficient and of...
on several occasions. His dissertation, and subsequent research program, focused on the evolution, ecology, and genetics of flour beetles of the genus Tribolium
Flour beetle
Flour beetles are members of the darkling beetle genus Tribolium or Tenebrio. They are pests of cereal silos and are widely used as laboratory animals, as they are easy to keep. The flour beetles enjoy wheat and other grains and are adapted to survive in very dry environments and can withstand high...
. At the earliest stages of his graduate career, he had been interested in the ecology of frogs in vernal ponds in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Research
Two central interests of Wade's research program are population structureMetapopulation
A metapopulation consists of a group of spatially separated populations of the same species which interact at some level. The term metapopulation was coined by Richard Levins in 1970 to describe a model of population dynamics of insect pests in agricultural fields, but the idea has been most...
and epistasis
Epistasis
In genetics, epistasis is the phenomenon where the effects of one gene are modified by one or several other genes, which are sometimes called modifier genes. The gene whose phenotype is expressed is called epistatic, while the phenotype altered or suppressed is called hypostatic...
. Mechanisms and interactions at the population and genetic levels are often non-additive. Thus, explaining and predicting
Prediction
A prediction or forecast is a statement about the way things will happen in the future, often but not always based on experience or knowledge...
many genetic and evolutionary phenomena in nature require understanding non-additive causal effects. As Richard Lewontin
Richard Lewontin
Richard Charles "Dick" Lewontin is an American evolutionary biologist, geneticist and social commentator. A leader in developing the mathematical basis of population genetics and evolutionary theory, he pioneered the notion of using techniques from molecular biology such as gel electrophoresis to...
wrote, "context and interaction are of the essence". In effect, Wade has found extensive empirical support, in the laboratory and in the field, for Sewall Wright's Shifting balance theory
Shifting balance theory
The shifting balance theory of evolution is a view of evolution advocated by Sewall Wright that each of the four evolutionary forces is important to adaptive evolution...
, and also determined through significant mathematical modeling work that Wright's theory is robust and explanatorily powerful. Wade's results, in concert with other work by David Sloan Wilson
David Sloan Wilson
David Sloan Wilson is an American evolutionary biologist and a Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences and Anthropology at Binghamton University. He is a son of the author Sloan Wilson.-Academic career:...
, helped rekindle the interest in, and highlight the importance of, group selection
Group selection
In evolutionary biology, group selection refers to the idea that alleles can become fixed or spread in a population because of the benefits they bestow on groups, regardless of the alleles' effect on the fitness of individuals within that group....
in the biological community.
Wade has also done influential work on sexual selection
Sexual selection
Sexual selection, a concept introduced by Charles Darwin in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, is a significant element of his theory of natural selection...
(see papers with Stevan Arnold, and book with Stephen Shuster, cited below), and the genetics of speciation
Speciation
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise. The biologist Orator F. Cook seems to have been the first to coin the term 'speciation' for the splitting of lineages or 'cladogenesis,' as opposed to 'anagenesis' or 'phyletic evolution' occurring within lineages...
, stressing the need to consider variation within species as well as fixed differences among species. Recently, his work has turned to social evolution
Social evolution
Social evolution is a subdiscipline of evolutionary biology that is concerned with social behaviors that have fitness consequences for individuals other than the actor...
and indirect genetic effects (e.g., maternal effects). Wade and his collaborators are increasingly employing rich genomics
Genomics
Genomics is a discipline in genetics concerning the study of the genomes of organisms. The field includes intensive efforts to determine the entire DNA sequence of organisms and fine-scale genetic mapping efforts. The field also includes studies of intragenomic phenomena such as heterosis,...
data and turning to other model systems, such as social insects
Eusociality
Eusociality is a term used for the highest level of social organization in a hierarchical classification....
.
In addition to biological topics, Wade is also interested in the history and philosophy of science
History and philosophy of science
The history and philosophy of science is an academic discipline that encompasses the philosophy of science and the history of science. Although many scholars in the field are trained primarily as either historians or as philosophers, there are degree-granting departments of HPS at several...
, politics, and literature. He has published on topics central to the philosophy of science, such as levels and units of selection
Unit of selection
A unit of selection is a biological entity within the hierarchy of biological organisation that is subject to natural selection...
and causality
Causality
Causality is the relationship between an event and a second event , where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first....
.
Distinctions
Wade has published over 150 scientific papers and book chapters, and received several distinctions, including membership in the American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
in 2007, in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 2008, and he was recognized with the Sewall Wright Award
Sewall Wright Award
The Sewall Wright Award is given annually by the American Society of Naturalists to a "senior-level" and active investigator making fundamental contributions the conceptual unification of the biological sciences. The award was established in 1991 and named after Sewall Wright. The recipient need...
in 2009.
Key publications
- Wade MJ. 1978. "A Critical Review of the Models of Group Selection." Quarterly Review of Biology 53: 101-114. (306 citations, Google Scholar July 8, 2011)
- Wade MJ. 1980. "Kin Selection: Its Components." ScienceScience (journal)Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
210: 665-67. (117 citations, Google Scholar July 8, 2011) - Arnold SJ, Wade MJ. 1984. "On the Measurement of Natural and Sexual Selection: Theory." EvolutionEvolution (journal)Evolution, the International Journal of Organic Evolution, is a leading monthly scientific journal that publishes significant new results of empirical or theoretical investigations concerning facts, processes, mechanics, or concepts of evolutionary phenomena and events. Evolution is published by...
38: 709-719. (746 citations, Google Scholar July 8, 2011) - Arnold SJ, Wade MJ. 1984. "On the Measurement of Natural and Sexual Selection: Applications." EvolutionEvolution (journal)Evolution, the International Journal of Organic Evolution, is a leading monthly scientific journal that publishes significant new results of empirical or theoretical investigations concerning facts, processes, mechanics, or concepts of evolutionary phenomena and events. Evolution is published by...
38: 720-734. (336 citations, Google Scholar July 8, 2011) - Wade MJ. 1985. "Soft Selection, Hard Selection, Kin Selection, and Group Selection." American NaturalistAmerican NaturalistThe American Naturalist is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal that was established in 1867. It is published by the University of Chicago Press on behalf of the American Society of Naturalists. The journal covers research in ecology, evolutionary biology, population, and integrative biology....
125: 61-73. (164 citations, Google Scholar July 8, 2011). - Wade MJ, and Goodnight CJ. 1998. "Genetics and adaptation in metapopulations: When nature does many small experiments." EvolutionEvolution (journal)Evolution, the International Journal of Organic Evolution, is a leading monthly scientific journal that publishes significant new results of empirical or theoretical investigations concerning facts, processes, mechanics, or concepts of evolutionary phenomena and events. Evolution is published by...
52:1537-1553. (218 citations, Google Scholar July 11, 2011) - Wolf JB, Brodie III ED, and Wade MJ. 2000. Epistasis and the Evolutionary Process. Oxford University Press.http://www.amazon.com/Epistasis-Evolutionary-Process-Jason-Wolf/dp/0195128060
- Shuster SM, Wade MJ. 2003. Mating Systems and Strategies. Princeton University Press.http://press.princeton.edu/titles/7571.html