The history, status and teaching of Darwinian medicine in Norway

Abstract

SUMMARYThis paper reviews how the application of the adaptationist program in medicine – Darwinian medicine –has been presented and received in Norway from the time George Williams presented his lecture in 1990,prior to the publishing of the seminal paper "The Dawn of Darwinian Medicine". These ideas found theirway into textbooks in 1996, and are also evaluated for inclusion in the curricula at several Norwegianmedical and nursing schools. This paper also presents how, in one of the textbooks, Darwinian medicineis integrated into an ecological health theory within the framework of human-environment interaction.