Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: CharlesWayneCT
"Because evolution suggests that anything is possible, if the appropriate mutations occur and if the result is viable and has an opportunity to succeed in breeding within the population."

Not really. The numerous evolutionary selection 'forces' actively limit the range of variability within a given environment. If it wasn't for the limitations of selection, mutations by themselves would have run rampant resulting in far more variation than we see. Only when a group of organisms are faced with a modified environment does selection force that population towards a new norm.

The smaller the population (above a specific critical point) the faster the new norm is reached.

160 posted on 06/16/2006 12:55:46 PM PDT by b_sharp (There is always one more mess to clean up.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 138 | View Replies ]


To: b_sharp

If you define those "forces" as agents which limit viability, you just said what I said. If you suggest forces that DON'T limit viability, but somehow otherwise conveniently limit mutations that should occur and would be viable simply so we don't have a huge variability, I'm not sure what the point OR the mechanism would be.

Put another way, I see neither the point nor the operability of selection forces that don't effect viability or opportunity to succeed but still manage to prevent mutations that have occured from spreading in the population. I guess that seems like the definition of viability and opportunity -- at least that's what I was trying to cover with those terms, which I admit may not be the scientific technical terms for whatever processes you envision.


162 posted on 06/16/2006 1:24:53 PM PDT by CharlesWayneCT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 160 | View Replies ]

To: b_sharp
...Only when a group of organisms are faced with a modified environment does selection force that population towards a new norm....

That's probably why Inuit have darker skin to absorb UV energy than say - the Zulu. O wait,...never mind.

164 posted on 06/16/2006 1:35:00 PM PDT by KMJames (Hyperbole is killing us.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 160 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson