Tracing the origins and subsequent emergence of new technological artifacts has received increased attention in innovation studies. Despite this interest, most of these studies still build on the Neo-Darwinian gradualist model of evolution. Closer inspection of historical records across a variety of settings, however, reveals that this model is not entirely consistent with observed patterns characterizing the evolution of technological artifacts, which instead indicate the existence of a plurality of evolutionary mechanisms. Accordingly, our goal in this paper is to demonstrate the importance of evolutionary pluralism to fully appreciate the various mechanisms that shape the evolution of technology. We illustrate the novel insights of this perspective through a historical case study of the evolution of the electric guitar—whose evolutionary trajectory is not consistent with the Neo-Darwinian model—and discuss its broader implications for innovation and policymaking.
