Re: Article: How good is our genome?

From: Michael Ragland (ragland37_at_webtv.net)
Date: 07/01/04 

Date: Thu, 1 Jul 2004 21:36:49 +0000 (UTC)

Ekurtz
The genome is an entity capable of looking to the future?

Guy:
Interestingly, the answer is yes. That is why natural selection is able
to cause adaptive genomic evolution. The mechanisms of genetics result
in the encoding of the past into the genome, which effectively allows it
to predict the future. If the past, or memories thereof, was too poor at
predicting the future, then heritable changes within populations in
response to natural selection would not result in adaptive evolution. It
would just amplify the noise.

Ragland:
I agree with you but this process of the genome being an entity capable
of looking into the future is in some ways at least quite evolutionarily
slow. Second, although the genome is an entity capable of looking into
its future its not like a crystal ball to us where we can exactly
determine its future.

"It's uncertain whether intelligence has any long term survival value."
Stephen Hawking

Relevant Pages

  • Some stuff on Baldwin Effect
    ... evolution with natural selection as an exception based on the Baldwin ... "Adaptive evolution may not require neither natural ... irreversible on the level of genome without the difference in the ... the level of whole genome and a look to the organism as a ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: Article: How good is our genome?
    ... > in the encoding of the past into the genome, ... > response to natural selection would not result in adaptive evolution. ... The units of time that Darwinism can attempt to predict ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: OOL X - The origin of the RNA world.
    ... strictly to the genome. ... group selection of the enclosed replicators is likely, ... the main problem with the origin of life is the puzzle of how ... > of natural selection, which can pull off all kinds of amazing feats. ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: Why dont mitochondria have junk DNA?
    ... >> the mitochondrial genome. ... >> in eukaryotes compared to prokaryotes. ... > that strong in mitochondria, though that would depend on their ... natural selection favoring a compact genome could still be ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Article: How good is our genome?
    ... >> in the encoding of the past into the genome, ... >> response to natural selection would not result in adaptive evolution. ... This Darwinian time frame varies between ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)