Even in living ones, genes for the most elementary features of the body, such as height or skin color, have not yet been established. When Richard C. Lewontin and Stephen J. Gould in the 1970s derided the Just So stories of the adaptationists, they were criticizing the ease with which unobserved genes for any trait whatever whether physical or behavioral could be posited, without any need to observe them. The claim that genes for leopard s spots helped conceal the leopard and so contributed to its survival is vacuous unless the genes are detected, which never happens. The claim that those genes that are selected for displace those that are not is a tautology masquerading as science. It cannot be falsified in this universe or in any other.
Unobserved genes continue to be the stock in trade of the evolutionary biologist.
The critics of sociobiology used arguments that were often political, but sometimes perilous to the evolution not just of behavior, but of bodies as well. If a nation plans its military strategy to obtain a draw one should not be surprised that victory remains unachieved. After all, even World War II might have ended in a loss if we had decided never to invade the Axis homelands and even to avoid destroying their economic bases, as we did with Vietnam. I m sure that some would dismiss this out of hand since it might have led to a general war. Lind . . .