Re: Do you disagree with the Modern Synthesis Mr. Hoelzer?

From: Michael Ragland (ragland37_at_webtv.net)
Date: 08/22/04

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    Date: Sun, 22 Aug 2004 23:44:33 +0000 (UTC)

    MR:
    The Modern Evolutionary Synthesis AKA neo-Darwinism combines Darwin's
    theory of the evolution of the species by natural selection with
    Mendelian inheritance. Don't you consider that an example of natural
    selection transmitting information to gene pools, of natural selection
    being linked to inheritance?

    GH:
    The framework of the Modern Synthesis explicitly separates the processes
    of natural selection and inheritance. I can only agree with the last
    part suggesting a link between the two processes. Reproduction and
    heritability are necessary, but insufficient, conditions for natural
    selection to occur under the neo-Darwinian paradigm.

    MR:
    I agree. When I mentioned natural selection transmitting genetic
    information across generations I was not referring to the conditions
    which natural selection occurs under the neo-Darwinian paradigm. I was
    referring to traits i.e. mutations which had already been selected by
    natural selection and which therefore were genetically transmitted from
    one generation to the next. As you pointed out mutations can decay,
    there can be positive mutations which I believe under the neo-Darwinian
    paradigm are much more rare and evolutionarily slow occurring and there
    is genetic drift so natural selection, despite its slowness, is not
    static. So while reproduction and heritability are necessary, but
    insufficient, conditions for natural selection to occur under the
    neo-Darwinian paradigm, until mutations decay or positive mutations are
    selected those traits which have been selected by natural selection will
    continue to be genetically transmitted from one generation to the next.
    I agree with you totally reproduction and heritability are necessary,
    but insufficient, conditions for natural selection to occur under the
    neo-Darwinian paradigm. I wasn't trying to make that argument. I was
    trying to make the case Darwinian evolution is very gradual and in our
    evolutionary past Darwinian selection selected mutations which today are
    archaic and are genetically transmitted through reproduction and
    heritability. So yes there is definitely a link but the process of
    natural selection is not dependent upon reproduction and heritability.
      

    "It's uncertain whether intelligence has any long term survival value.
    Bacteria do quite well without it."
     Stephen Hawking

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