Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Reproducible Evolution
"Evolution is remarkably reproducible." (154) Why would it be important to different species for evolution to be reproducible? What would be some pros and some cons of the reproducibility of evolution? Why would it be important for genes to be able to change to code for a specific important characteristic for species in a certain area? Basically, what Carroll is saying is that species in a certain environment have the ability to evolve the same types of genes that code for a specific feature that allows those species to survive. Why would this be an important aspect of evolution of different species?
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Reproducible evolution would be the ability to evolve given a situation using those genes that would evolve to help the species survive. This would be good for the species because it gives them a chance to survive and reproduce in their new environment. They evolve to the circumstance and are becoming more efficient as a result. A huge problem with this is coevoltion creating many similar species. That means if one catastrophic thing happens then all those species who evolved similarly will be defenseless unless they are able to evolve again. It would also be beneficial because they then would be able to copy each other if something is becoming beneficial for another species. This will then truly increase the chance of survival for the species.
ReplyDeleteReproducible evolution, if found in similar species living in the same general environment, would allow species that occupy the same niche to evolve the same characteristics that would increase their fitness. However, if two species’ abilities to survive and reproduce are both increasing, then their relative fitnesses would actually stay the same. This could have many effects on a particular environment.
ReplyDeleteOne possible effect that this could have is that it would allow other species living in the same general area to flourish. Since the two species’ relative fitnesses can not increase nor decrease, the carrying capacities for both populations would inevitably decrease and there will be fewer members of both populations. If these species are predators that feed off of other animals, these prey will have higher chances to survive and reproduce, and therefore their population will grow. Also, the species diversity of the area can increase if the populations of predator species are checked, as more and more animals will be able to live in the area without threats of predators. Although, if one of these species is a keystone species that has a great positive effect on other species in the area, then having two species’ relative fitnesses stay the same could have a detrimental affect on the area.
Also, reproducible evolution in the same general area would allow species to become more and more complex. If two species that occupy the same niche are very similar and have evolved similarly, then the relative fitness of each species would remain the same since there would still be the same amount of competition for resources. This would make certain mutations in members of these species favorable if they increase the animals’ ability to survive and reproduce. Favorable mutations that give members of one species a selective advantage over the other would be selected for within the species, and natural selection would allow most or all members of that particular species to have these new mutations. Since this would continually happen if the evolution in the two species is relatively reproducible, then the species of the area should become increasingly complex.