Frank Yue writes:
>>I find it interesting that all of the recent discussion about <Definition of
>>Evolution> is concentrating around genetics and its role in evolution. There
>>are too many refences in past postings to quote, but buzz words like alleles,
>>isolation, frequency, mutation, translocation, etc. abound.
>>Let me throw my two cents in by saying that it is only fair to define the
>>word
>>evolution through non-biased ideas such as genetics. Evolution occurs in
>>non-mendelian systems and where the genome is not relevant. evolution can
>>occur above the species level (as in a forest ecosystem) and on the
>>non-living
>>level (the weathering of igneous rocks). Let us find a definition of
>>evolution
Mark Yandell responds:
> ........etc
> In response to you comments on evolution....
> JESUS, GET A LIFE GUY. BETTER yet TAKE an undergraduate class in evolutionary
> biology.
Please...I was happy to see Mr. Yue's posting. I think that folks spend so
much time working with their little metaphor that they forget about the
larger scale problems that may apply.
I remember seeing a very interesting presentation at the 1990 BioMatrix
conference on meteorlogical influences on evolution. The focus wasn't on
the genetics involved, but rather on the migration patterns of species
according to weather patterns. The speaker showed how major climactic
changes could "run" a species off the edge of a continent.
Also, if we're thinking big (though this may be too much for bionet.molbio),
let's think about describing human driven evolution such as that of
economic and political systems.
Thanks Frank...and please, let's keep the flames down.... :)
Pete
