Debating Darwin in Spain: anti-darwinian evolutionary theories and modern synthesis

Abstract

Centenary celebrations of Darwin’s birth were held in Valencia and Lorca in 1909. Fifty years later, the meetings and the publications of the Spanish scientific community on the occasion of the centenary of the publication of On the Origin of Species showed a proximity and an acceptance towards the theses of the evolutionary modern synthesis. During the first half of the 20th century, there were controversies in Spain between the Darwinian and anti-Darwinian positions. In addition, non-Darwinian evolutionary theories were spread and supported. Though the assumptions of the synthetic theory of evolution were soon known, commented and discussed, the majority trend in the 40’s and 50’s was to incline towards finalist and vitalist interpretations of evolution.