" Evolution and Tinkering " ( 1977 ) , by Francois

In his essay "Evolution and Tinkering," published in Science in 1977, François Jacob argues that a common analogy between the process of evolution [4] by natural selection [5] and the methods of engineering is problematic. Instead, he proposes to describe the process of evolution [4] with the concept of bricolage (tinkering). In this essay, Jacob does not deny the importance of the mechanism of natural selection [5] in shaping complex adaptations. Instead, he maintains that the cumulative effects of history on the evolution [4] of life, made evident by molecular data, provides an alternative account of the patterns depicting the history of life on earth. Jacob's essay contributed to genetic research in the late twentieth century that emphasized certain types of topics in evolutionary and developmental biology, such as genetic regulation [6], gene duplication events, and the genetic program of embryonic development. It also proposed why, in future research, biologists should expect to discover an underlying similarity in the molecular structure of genomes, and that they should expect to find many imperfections in evolutionary history despite the influence of natural selection [5].