Re: lack of evolutionary pressures (was Re: An end to "court appointed attorneys") (fwd)

Forwarded message:

> Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 22:42:34 -0700
> From: Kent Crispin <kent@songbird.com>
> Subject: Re: lack of evolutionary pressures (was Re: An end to "court appointed attorneys")

> The evolutionary definition of "competent" is "propagate your genetic 
> material".  A rough corollary is that those who raise the most children 
> to child-bearing age are the most competent.

With all due respect, bullshit. Fecundity is in no way related to long-term
survival as detailed in the various theories of Neo-Darwinian evolution or
in actual studies. I would suggest strongly that you read Ernst Meyr and get
a better grip on how evolutionary theory works. Just being fecund does not
in any way guarantee success, in fact it may guarantee failure because it
keeps the limits of genetic spread of the population constrained. There is
also a book, Extinction: luck or genes?, which you should look into.

I apologize for not providing better cites but I don't have any of Mayr's or
the extinction book on hand at the moment. They are commenly found in the
science section of larger bookstores though.

Also note that Mayr has a new book out (about a year old I believe) that
covers some of the most recent changes of the punctuated-equilibria and
neo-darminian camps.

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On Sat, Aug 23, 1997 at 08:47:03AM -0500, Jim Choate wrote:
> Forwarded message:
> 
> > Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 22:42:34 -0700
> > From: Kent Crispin <kent@songbird.com>
> > Subject: Re: lack of evolutionary pressures (was Re: An end to "court appointed attorneys")
> 
> > The evolutionary definition of "competent" is "propagate your genetic 
> > material".  A rough corollary is that those who raise the most children 
> > to child-bearing age are the most competent.
> 
> With all due respect, bullshit. Fecundity is in no way related to long-term
> survival as detailed in the various theories of Neo-Darwinian evolution or
> in actual studies. 

Note that I didn't say "fecundity".  And note also that I said "rough
corollary".  Furthermore, it is simply false to state that "fecundity
is in no way related etc etc".  A dominant gene that causes a fecundity of
zero, for example, will not propagate.

[...]

> Also note that Mayr has a new book out (about a year old I believe) that
> covers some of the most recent changes of the punctuated-equilibria and
> neo-darminian camps.

Thanks -- I will look into it.  I know of Dr Mayr's work from other 
sources, but I didn't know he had a new book out.

-- 
Kent Crispin				"No reason to get excited",
kent@songbird.com			the thief he kindly spoke...
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