Re: Speculation on Future Evolution


"B. T. Heerebout" <B.T.Heerebout@xxxxxx> wrote in message news:e7cbcg$2357$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Dear Joe, Jim, Peter and Tom,
I'm rather new to this newsgroup but your discussion tempted me to
reply.

And a very thoughtful reply it is. Thanks for responding.

Firstly I would like too state that I too view life's history as
a tree and most certainly not as a chain (I don't mean to offend but I
fail to understand how an evolutionist could view it otherwise). I will
take this even further and state that I view the history of
technological development as a tree as well. Different of course
because it's branches can influence each other to a much greater
extent, however there is no such thing as a compulsory path, chain or
timeline that has to be followed. Societies skip steps, go into
different directions and can still eventually come up with leading
technology. Nevertheless, I don't think this is at relevant for Tom's
original post. Whether an organism or device is a link in a chain or a
twig in a bush, how different can life be in the same universe?

At least as different as life can be on the same planet. Which means,
to me, that we can expect a pretty startling degree of diversity when
we sample the universe, just as we find startling diversity here on
Earth.

In the tree of life several different branches have evolved the eye.
Allthough the insect eye, the fish eye and the mammalian eye are
different in many ways they largely provide an organism the same
information using the same source of light. Will alien life be as
similar as the fish eye is to the mammalian eye or would it be
radically different? Will evolution, at least at some points, develop
the same solution over and over again? Gould wrote that if the tree of
life would be replanted it wouldn't grow the same tree. I agree that it
would be highly improbable the Dutch would lose again from the Germans
in a new 1974 World Cup (and I hope we won't this year). Things would
not be that similar. But how different can life on other planets be?
Assuming the most basic of assumptions in the sense of movement,
producing energy, sensing the environment etc. it is diffucult to
envisage completly different 'solutions'. Sensors will be on the front,
information processing will be close to the sensors. How many
variations are there in ways to move on earth? Not that many. Could
there be different ways? Will the collecting of food and evasion of
predators not lead to the same basic emotions?

True enough. And I was a little unfair to Tom in suggesting that he
was implying that the octopus is destined to evolve into a hominid,
but is just taking its own sweet time about it. All he was really
saying is that the octupus is destined to develop parental care, language,
free compulsory education and the welfare state. If it does so in a
way that is wetter, inkier, and involves more appendages than the way
we have done it, that's OK.

But I think that it is fair to say that those who make a big deal out
of 'convergence' are at least leaning in the direction of a "great chain'.
Enough convergence, and a tree becomes a chain.

Those are not only interesting questions by itself but also lead to
insight in eartly evolution even if we will forever be alone in the
universe.

Interesting indeed. Again, thanks for posting.


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Speculation on Future Evolution
    ... a tree and most certainly not as a chain (I don't mean to offend but I ... In the tree of life several different branches have evolved the eye. ... Will evolution, at least at some points, develop ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: Evolution of a Cola
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    (talk.origins)
  • Darwin Was Wrong (Apparently)
    ... Why Darwin was wrong about the tree of life ... Read our related editorial: Uprooting Darwin's tree ... time he published On The Origin of Species 22 years later, ... Without it the theory of evolution would never have happened. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Darwin IS Wrong (OBVIOUSLY)
    ... Why Darwin was wrong about the tree of life ... Read our related editorial: Uprooting Darwin's tree ... time he published On The Origin of Species 22 years later, ... Without it the theory of evolution would never have happened. ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: Darwin Was Wrong (Apparently)
    ... Why Darwin was wrong about the tree of life ... Read our related editorial: Uprooting Darwin's tree ... time he published On The Origin of Species 22 years later, ... Without it the theory of evolution would never have happened. ...
    (talk.origins)