Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id RAA18138 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 31 Aug 2001 17:01:22 +0100 Message-ID: <3B8FB45B.951C219E@bioinf.man.ac.uk> Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2001 16:59:23 +0100 From: Chris Taylor <Christopher.Taylor@man.ac.uk> Organization: University of Manchester X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.77 [en] (Windows NT 5.0; U) X-Accept-Language: en To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Misunderstood Cichlids References: <F2662u4hadSyXqZ9Lmy00001af6@hotmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Maybe the cichlids are quick studies, their rapid rates of speciational
> evolution a testament to fast learning, not unlike cramming for an exam,
> except that the crammers resonate amongst themselves.
That's testable, I wonder if anyone has done it (there are estimates of
diversity, but I didn't see any about response to selection as such).
> Since isolation is related to speciation, we may have a slight problem. A
> population may become physically isolated from another of the same species
> by a geographical barrier, but as MR theory claims there is spooky action at
> a distance. This action at a distance, if it can influence crystal growth
> and rodent learning in locales far removed, shouldn't have much problem
> jumping across a wimpy little geographical barrier. Wouldn't resonance and
> formative causation run counter to geographical isolation? Why would local
> demes diverge from those similar to them yet geographically isolated?
>
> The separated populations will, especially if small in effective size, be
> skewed samples of the original larger population and genetic drift would
> foster a genetic rift. Selection would adapt them to their local conditions
> and if these conditions are similar in some respects, the adaptations of the
> speciating subpopulations will converge or parallel in these respects. Where
> would resonance come into the picture? In the respects where the local
> conditions differ selection would result in a divergence of correlated
> features of the phenotypes of the repective subpopulations. Of course, drift
> itself or some sort of founder effect would also have played a part in
> divergence from the original population.
<applause> And *that* is a bloody marvellous point. </applause>
Similar to the de novo flight/homeothermy/etc one. Ted's turn...
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Chris Taylor (chris@bioinf.man.ac.uk)
http://bioinf.man.ac.uk/ »people»chris
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