tolman at asylum.cs.utah.edu (Kenneth Tolman) <9207092212.AA19642 at genbank.bio.net>
writes:
> I am intersted in understanding the fundamental nature of chance in
>mutation. What specifically causes mutation? If you know any good references,
>please tell, everything I can find only talks about what the end result is
>of the mutation (base change, inversion, etc).
> Where does the chance arise from?
> Is it possible for a single photon to induce a mutation? If so, this would
>be a prime place to witness chance- for the actual photons absorption is
>dictated only by the probability distribution of QM.
> Where else is it directly evident that chance performs evolution?
>Thanks,
I was taught that the chance (= random?) nature of mutations is in relationship
to the needs of the organism. This is classical Neodarwinian dogma, but serves
as a good null hypothesis (to a fair approximation).
Other realms of evolution in which chance operates would include:
1) Genetic Drift
2) Random (Catastrophic) Extinctions
Jerry Learn
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Dept. of Botany & Plant Sciences | LEARN at UCRVMS.BITNET |
| University of California | learn at moe.ucr.edu |
| Riverside, CA 92521 | (714) 787-3543 |
| USA | FAX: (714) 787-4437 |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
