Atavism

Atavism in Physical Science

During the interval between the acceptance of Darwinian evolutiontheory and the rise of modern understanding of genetics, atavism was used to account for the reappearance in an individual of a traitafter several generations of absence. Such an individual was sometimes called a "throwback". The term is often used in connection with the unexpected reappearance of primitive traits in organisms.

The concept was much more widely used in the pre-genetic Darwinismof Ernst Haeckel, who proposed a recapitulation theorycommonly summed up in the phrase that ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny: the notion that a developing embryo revisits the previous evolutionary stages of the organism in the course of its development, and resembles the successively more complex organisms out of which it had evolved.

The notion of atavism was used frequently by social darwinists, who claimed that inferior racesdisplayed atavistic traits, and represented more primitive traits than their own race. Both the notion of atavism, and Haeckel's recapitulation theory, are saturated with notions of evolution as progress, as a march towards greater complexity and superior ability.

In addition, the concept of atavism as part of an individualistic explanation of the causes of criminal deviance was popularised by the Italian criminologist Cesare Lombrosoin the 1870?s. He attempted to identify physical characteristics common to criminals and labelled those he found as atavistic, ?throwback? traits that determined 'primitive' criminal behaviour. His statistical evidence and the notion that physical traits determine inevitable criminality (an idea closely related to the concepts of eugenics) have long since been debunked, but the concept that physical traits may affect the likelihood of criminal behaviour in the individual remains popular in some circles. For instance, the presence of an XYYchromosomal abnormality was widely touted as a predictor of violent behaviour among male prison inmates in past decades. Cf. also the White supremacistbelief that Blacks are ethnically inferior to Whites, and that this, rather than economics and a demonstrably racially-skewedjustice system, accounts for the disproportionate African-Americanprison inmate population. Despite the number of studies done on the subject, no conclusive evidence exists of any statistical link between physical traits and individual criminality.

Ideas that the genetic clockcould somehow be reversed led to the selective breedingof cattlewith selected primitive traits, in hopes of reviving the extinctaurochs.

Cultural References to Atavism

The term atavism is sometimes also applied in the discussion of culture. Some social scientistsdescribe the return of older, "more primitive" tendencies (e.g., warlike attitudes, "clanidentity," etc. -- anything suggesting the social and political atmosphere of thousands of years ago) as "atavistic." "Resurgent Atavism" is a common name for the belief that people in the modern era are beginning to revert to ways of thinking and acting that are throwbacks to a former time. This is especially used by sociologists in reference to violence.

The neo-pagansubculture also uses this same terminology ("atavism" or "resurgent atavism") to describe how modern, Western countries are experiencing both the decline of Christianityand the rise of religious movements inspired by the paganreligions of centuries past. Some cite the rise of environmentalism, scientific inquiry, and liberalization of societyas contributing to an increasingly secular society, one in which religious sentiments are more frequently tied with an appreciation of the physical world rather than set against it. Occasionally, the use of these terms in reference to "alternative" spiritualityor in an occultcontext implies the use of violence to assert these changing religious views--for example, a rash of church burnings across Scandinaviahas been described as a part of this trend because many of the perpetrators were self-described "pagans" seeking to overthrow what they deemed to be centuries of religious oppressionby Christianity. It should be noted, however, that most adherents to modern pagan religions and related belief systems do not support these actions.de:Atavismus pl:Atawizm pt:Atavismo sv:Atavism

External links

• Cat People (1942)Even as fog continues to lie in the valleys, so does ancient sin cling to the low places, the depressions in the world consciousness.

(The Anatomy of Atavism - Dr. Louis Judd)

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It uses material from the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atavism Wikipedia article Atavism.