Somewhere between Darwin and Baldwin lies... Lamark?

And if sexual selection kicked in (avoiding scarred/infected/post-infection partners), it could happen quickly.Edited to correct haywire quote.This message has been edited by Omnivorous, 09-23-2005 11:42 AM

Hi, Nuggin. I'm not sure I understand your objection.Your statement quoted above is clearly true, but the ongoing "abuse" would still be a selective pressure, and the probability of the "non-tail" mutation is not germane--given enough time, whatever can happen, will.Perhaps the Heike crab is a good example, where for centuries Japanese fishermen have released crabs whose shell markings are thought to resemble a samurai's face. Both the number of such crabs and their likeness to samurai faces have increased; the resemblance-bearing individual crab has increased chances of survival (and reproduction), and, it seems to me, so does the species, since there is now a large subpopulation we will not so readily hunt into extinction.

Agreed. Sorry if I was unclear and seemed to argue otherwise.The speculation I was supporting is that the continued chopping of tails in the "Farmer's Wife" cohort could act as a selective pressure that favors the genetically tail-less mouse.With the tail-less mutation-bearing mouse free from the risks of traumatic injury, and, perhaps, therefore more desirable as a mate, the tail-less mutation might spread throughout that isolated cohort.Similarly, an antibiotic may not cause the resistant mutation, but the outcomes may differ dramatically between antibiotic-present and antibiotic-absent cohorts of bacteria when a new resistance mutation appears.