Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id CAA08339 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sat, 20 Jan 2001 02:49:18 GMT Message-Id: <5.0.2.1.0.20010119203428.01f11540@pop3.htcomp.net> X-Sender: mmills@pop3.htcomp.net X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Version 5.0.2 Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 20:38:40 -0600 To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk From: Mark Mills <mmills@htcomp.net> Subject: phenotypic plasticity and ontogeny Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Wade,
At 08:52 AM 1/19/01 -0500, you wrote:
>On 01/18/01 08:26, Robin Faichney said this-
>
> >Memes spread via behaviour.
>
>Behaviors happen- whether or not something replicates during this, is,
>IMHO, still to be proven. The fact of a behavior is not proof of a meme,
>it is an action, and can, perhaps, remain a completely unmemetically
>caused one until this meme thingee is actually found.
Try this out. Let's say behavior is an aspect of phenotypic
plasticity. Schlichting and Pigliucci's book Phenotypic Evolution provides
a wide variety of examples which show variable degrees of phenotypic
plasticity for specific genotypes. Schlichting and Pigliucci claim there
are three factors producing the various phenotype expressions:
1. The genotype
2. Environmental factors
3. Ontogenetical (developmental) sequence and structures
Within this framework, the neural-meme represents an ontogenetical structure.
All behaviors are examples of phenotypic plasticity. All phenotypic
plasticity is produced by the above 3 factors. In some behaviors, the
neural-meme is a significant factor. In all behaviors, the neural-meme
plays a part.
Some behaviors happen without cultural reference, if one defines 'culture'
as 'human activities' external to the subject neural system. I suggest we
use a broader definition and include the neural system itself. As I've
claimed before, the neural system is largely self-organizing along the
lines of Edelman's neuronal group selection. Thus it represents an
ontogenetical structure (3). This way, we can include structural
accommodation within the brain for structural change elsewhere in the
brain. For example, a baby may have to have much of it's left hemisphere
removed due to a major tumor. Despite this, there are example where many
of the functions usually performed by the left hemisphere move to the right
hemisphere. There is a 'cultural' response since the baby has great
'phenotypic plasticity.'
>thus birdsong is an example, like termite's mounds and
>spiders' webs, of changes due to genetic adaptibility to conditions, and
>little, if nothing else.
Within the phenotypic plasticity scheme, birds and termites have enough
neural plasticity exhibit the described behaviors. Both are exhibiting
neural-memes since their neural cultures have the enabling plasticity.
>It is the behavior itself of memetic propagation (mutation, transmission,
>replication, genesis)
Me, too. Internal to the neural system; neural-meme mutation, replication
and ontogenetical genesis are of great interest.
> I want more attention paid to- the 'sex' part of
>memetic transmission- the behavior that starts by demanding a meme be
>placed in another locale, and finds the way to do this. Is memetic sex
>equally as male/female a system as genetic sex?
I don't think there is genetic versus memetic sex. Sexual behavior is an
example of phenotypic plasticity and requires genetic, environmental and
ontogenetical features to be successful.
Mark
http://www.htcomp.net/markmills
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
http://www.htcomp.net/markmills
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sat Jan 20 2001 - 02:53:01 GMT