In article <MAILQUEUE-101.950126102404.256 at molbiol.uct.ac.za> ed at molbiol.uct.ac.za writes:
>> From: druisi at aol.com (DRuisi)
>> Subject: Can Natural Selection Apply to HIV?
>> Date: 25 Jan 1995 17:15:48 -0500
>> Reply-to: druisi at aol.com (DRuisi)
>>> The ultimate goal of a virus is to reproduce.
>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>Surely that should be: the ultimate goal of LIVING THINGS is to
>reproduce???
>
Actually, doesn't this statement presuppose that all living things have
such a goal? PERHAPS it would be better to say that poor reproduction
(in the absence of differential survival and reproduction of offspring)
generally leads to extinction of lineages.
>> Since viruses are not alive...
>>Really? Pre-judging your case a little, aren't you? There's a
>whole lot of arguing goes on BEFORE you get to that point, BEFORE
>you start basing arguments on that premise.
>> _____________________________________________________
> | Ed Rybicki, PhD | (ed at molbiol.uct.ac.za) |
> | Dept Microbiology | University of Cape Town |
> | Private Bag, Rondebosch | 7700, South Africa |
> | fax: xx27-21-650 4023 | tel: xx27-21-650 3265 |
> | URL: http://www.uct.ac.za/microbiology |
> -----------------------------------------------------
Rich Kliman
Dept. of Biology
Radford University
