Diversification: Random Walk or Biological Determinism?

So, CS, should I put you down as one who thinks biological diversification is a random walk?”FTF

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I can see Lower Slobovia from my house.

I can't answer that with a yes/no....I don't think Random Mutation necessitates diversification, but it could be an inevitability given non-negetive selective pressure. I don't really know for sure.I think that Natural Selection would be the driving force to diversitfication. An evironment sutiable for diversity will bread diversity and one that isn't, won't. One that's rather hostile would reduce diversity, obviously.So, is biological diversity random.... I guess when you boil it down, it has to have some random component from the mutations, but then the environmnet determines (in that mechanical sense) whether or not the diversity will increase.

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So, you see the acronym FTW around a lot and it stand for: "For The Win" For example, after seen some pics posted, someone might post:

quote:

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#3 FTW

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Indicating they think #3 was the best.Anyways, I see your "FTF" on there and I'm thinking:What!? Does that mean "For The Fail"

Works for me. It's all in the attitude: I win when I win and I win when I fall.”FTF

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I can see Lower Slobovia from my house.

quote:

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So, is biological diversity random.... I guess when you boil it down, it has to have some random component from the mutations, but then the environmnet determines (in that mechanical sense) whether or not the diversity will increase.

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Hy CS, yes, I thing that randomness is necessary to breed diversity, otherwise absolute determinism would only breed uniformity.I also would like to point out, that some times, and I talk also for myself, we confuse randomness with unpredictability. A random process has a probability assigned for all the possible outcomes, be them known to us or not. Taking the typical random example of the die, the probability of having one particular number is 1/6, but, if we make a run of 6.000 tries, we will have very approximately 1.000 occurrences for each number. So the final outcome is prity much deterministic. Am I saying a barbarity?

I have to agree with Dawkins that selfish gene activities like replication and propagation (usually via fertilization) are deterministic. Genes are nothing if not determined to survive. They may be the most deterministic things in nature. If diversification is be proven to be a deterministic act of genes”i.e., a "tool" for their survival”then I think diversification is a form of biological determinism. But I'm not sure diversification is always beneficial to the genes. I could see arguments on both side of the issue. Do you consider the diversification of cracks in drying mud a deterministic act? Is there's a difference between mechanical diversification and deterministic diversification? I think so.”FTF

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I can see Lower Slobovia from my house.