The Etiological Theory of Function and Niko Tinbergen's Four Questions

Tinbergen (1963) demarcated four types of questions which can be asked about a trait. In particular, he distinguished studies bearing on the function of a trait and those aiming at unravelling its evolution. I will examine whether the etiological theory of function can accommodate this important distinction. I will question the adequacy of a historical framework to conceptualize functional explanations in some areas of evolutionary biology and propose that an ahistorical fitness account is more appropriate.