A paradigm shift, or a paradigm adjustment? The evolution of the Oleaceae mating system as a small-scale Kuhnian case-study

Abstract

Kuhn (1962) proposed an evolutionary model to explain how scientific knowledge is built, based on the concept of paradigm. Even though Kuhn's model is general, it has been applied only to a few topics in evolutionary biology, especially broad-based paradigms. Our goal here is to analyze a small-scale paradigm change that occurred about the mating system of a Mediterranean shrub: P. angustifolia (Oleaceae) through the lens of Kuhn's model. We first summarize the different steps of the paradigm change and replace them in the more general context of the sex ratio theory. Second, we show how the different steps of the paradigm changes can be interpreted by Kuhnian concepts and tools. Finally, we discuss the actual and future status of the new paradigm.