Mismatch Theories in Evolutionary Medicine

This book investigates the limits and possibilities of mismatch theories in evolutionary medicine,a topic that has not yet received much attention in philosophy. Mismatch explanations are part of a broader attempt to establish evolutionary thinking as a foundation for human medicine. Although mismatch explanations are well-established in ecology to account for extinction risks,the ongoing attempts to transfer them into human medical contexts are riddled with conceptual and ethical problems. This book offers a comprehensive analysis of the theoretical presuppositions as well as the normative implications associated with mismatch theorizing in evolutionary medicine