Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 63 (9161 total)
1 online now:
Newest Member: popoi
Post Volume: Total: 915,585 Year: 2,842/9,624 Month: 687/1,588 Week: 93/229 Day: 4/61 Hour: 0/4


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   Stasis and Evolution
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1395 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


(1)
Message 61 of 61 (534927)
11-11-2009 8:06 PM
Reply to: Message 60 by caffeine
11-11-2009 8:54 AM


Re: Stasis in naturally adaptable organisms
Hi caffeine, it's just some thoughts I had, not a complete answer.
I'm not quite sure I grasp the point you're making with the starlings.
I just figured they were a good example of what you were describing.
... but this doesn't seem to tell us much about whether they'd trade their adaptability for specialisation if stuck in an unchanging environment for tens or hundreds of thousands of years.
It would be interesting to see if they still mate with european birds with the same degree of success as is normal in each subpopulation (neutral drift).
One of the problems with a highly adaptable species with a large range of possible habitats would be confining it to a stasis ecology.
To study the idea you'd probably need to set up a lab experiment, first to select for multiple ecology adaptation, then to isolate parts in each sub-ecology.
I'd bet on some traits being lost by drift if they are not selected against.
Enjoy.

we are limited in our ability to understand
by our ability to understand
Rebel American Zen Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ...
to share.


• • • Join the effort to solve medical problems, AIDS/HIV, Cancer and more with Team EvC! (click) • • •

This message is a reply to:
 Message 60 by caffeine, posted 11-11-2009 8:54 AM caffeine has not replied

  
Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024