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Author Topic:   Diversification: Random Walk or Biological Determinism?
NosyNed
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Posts: 8996
From: Canada
Joined: 04-04-2003


Message 7 of 35 (488549)
11-12-2008 9:03 PM
Reply to: Message 5 by RAZD
11-12-2008 7:56 PM


Real effect
I don't think if is because of a skewed distribution or arbitrary categorizations.
I think the increase in diversity is a consequence of evolutionary processes operating in an adequately diverse environment.
The evolutionary processes operate to 'search' the available space for phenotypes. This 'search' is very, very thorough and relentless.
If the environment is diverse enough the 'search' will find more and more finally tuned things to squeeze into it.
When you consider that the environment also includes all other organisms then you can see that diversity can be driven to increase.
Only if the environment is sparse or undergoes huge disruption would this effect be reversed.
In other words, I think increasing diversity is the usual consequence of evolutionary processes.
Also, I think it will tend to curve upward as the surrounding diversity (other organisms) feeds back into the processes.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 5 by RAZD, posted 11-12-2008 7:56 PM RAZD has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 8 by Coyote, posted 11-12-2008 9:28 PM NosyNed has not replied
 Message 9 by RAZD, posted 11-12-2008 11:17 PM NosyNed has not replied

  
NosyNed
Member
Posts: 8996
From: Canada
Joined: 04-04-2003


Message 17 of 35 (488728)
11-15-2008 8:42 PM
Reply to: Message 16 by AnswersInGenitals
11-15-2008 8:16 PM


Re: Reducto ad Diversito ==POTM
I've POTM'd this AiG. I think this is very clear writing and reasoning even if it might be wrong.
Question:
Where did this factino come from:
E. g., the genomes of every one of our ~100 trillion cells differ from the egg we originated from by several dozen to several thousand different mutations. The vast majority of these mutations cause us no problems - they are either neutral or kill the mutated cell which is then just recycled into other cells.)
To tidy up a loose end I think you'd need to add a paragraph that discusses how a species of loose genome can maintain that given your comment that a tight one might be better for a specific condition.
I think the paragraph needs to emphasize the constant micro changes in environments. E.g., somewhere (I'll look later maybe) I read (or my mind is making up) that some (I can't remember ) species undergoes genetic shifts throughout the passage of a couple of seasons as the conditions change.
ABE
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17532917
Describes moths (I think) that have genetic changes over a season. This is not the example I was thinking of though.
This one I can only barely read:
GENETIC COADAPTATION IN THE CHROMOSOMAL POLYMORPHISM OF DROSOPHILA SUBOBSCURA. I. SEASONAL CHANGES OF GAMETIC DISEQUILIBRIUM IN A NATURAL POPULATION | Genetics | Oxford Academic
but it hints at the same thing:
quote:
We propose that Ost probably consists of a finite array of supergenes that are differentially favored in each season by natural selection.
Edited by NosyNed, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 16 by AnswersInGenitals, posted 11-15-2008 8:16 PM AnswersInGenitals has replied

Replies to this message:
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