4 ms·
They're also info-compressed. You can re-use the same DNA for both sides. This means you have less meaningful information to maintain against random mutation pr
by jlawson 5y ago
They're also info-compressed. You can re-use the same DNA for both sides. This means you have less meaningful information to maintain against random mutation pressure over time.
Symmetry is also challenging to maintain and very visible; any malformation is obvious. This is useful in showing health and genetic fitness to mates.
Many tasks are also inherently symmetrical, like locomotion. Evolving the two legs totally separately would be very error-prone and you'd never quite get it right. Having them both just be copies of the same structure is much cleaner and always efficiently completes the task.
Same for things like binocular vision, having ears that hear equally and so can easily echolocate, etc.
- limpingduck 5y ago"Some owls have ears located directly across from each other, in symmetrical placement. Others have asymmetrical placement, where an ear on one side of the head is located above the one on the other side of the head, which increases their ability to locate sound on a vertical axis. These owls use their uneven ears to judge exactly where sound is coming from." https://www.owlresearchinstitute.org/adaptations https://www.owlresearchinstitute.org/adaptations
- jlawson 5y agoInteresting to see the confirmation - Horizontal alignment (symmetry) is best for most animals because they really need to echolocate on the horizontal plane. For the few that don't, some have adapted!