Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id TAA20309 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 30 Jul 2001 19:45:08 +0100 From: <joedees@bellsouth.net> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Date: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 13:48:48 -0500 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Subject: Re: Logic still: What survives in `survival of the fittest'? Message-ID: <3B6565C0.14620.31DC0E@localhost> In-reply-to: <996503758.3b6570ceae0fa@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> X-mailer: Pegasus Mail for Win32 (v3.12c) Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
On 30 Jul 2001, at 16:35, Philip Jonkers wrote:
>
> >Philip says:
>
> >I'm sorry if this is source of confusion. I hope I can settle
> >this once and for all. With `fittest' I do not
> >mean to denote a species being superior in an absolute sense.
> >More so in a relative sense instead. That is, I refer to
> >the best adapted species compared to other species occupying
> >the same positions in the food chain (better yet `food web'):
> >peer-species, if you like. These are the species that compete
> >one and other for the resources they are designed for to exploit by
> >evolution (not creation!). Species taking no part in this relative
> >struggle are bound to be engaged in other struggles. Each of these
> >struggles, local competitions, has a winner : this is what I meant
> >with the `fittest'.
>
>
> I'm a little embarrassed guys. Some moments after a left the
> university when I wrote the above argument, it occurred to
> me that the real entity that survives in the
> `survival of the fittest' has to be the GENE (see
> `the selfish gene' by Dawkins). Individuals perish (thereby
> losing their unique genome consistently), species
> evolve (and thereby their genome changes), the genes are
> the only entities that have the potential to persist for
> thousands of generations. Then with `fittest' is
> meant the genes which are best adapted and best suited
> and yield individuals that are advantageously developed.
> The best genes produce the best survival machines. There is
> a selective pressure towards prevalence of genes that produce
> the best survival machines. It is our through our taxonomous
> tradition to categorize survival machines into distinct boxes
> called species. With respect to genes `fighting it out' this
> policy then is a little misleading, artificial and obscuring.
>
> Therefore, on behalf of Dawkins: its the gene that is implicitly
> denoted in the slogan `the survival of the fittest'.
>
But genes themselves are presented with an evolving genetic
context, as when other genes mutate or alternative variants are
inherited, and the synergistic effects of gene combinations
subsequently work better, worse, or not at all. Thus there is no
unchanging 'fittest' gene possible absent a genetic context which
itself will eventually change. IOW; perhaps, whether one is
discussing genes or species, the phrase should be changed to
'survival of the presently fitter', as 'the fittest' is an abstract ideal
construct, unrealizeable in concrete reality.
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> Cheers,
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> Philip.
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> ===============================================================
> This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
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> For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
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> ===============================================================
> 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 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
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