3 ms·
I think it's a genetic trait diversity bottleneck? Mammals almost all went in the direction of nocturnal adaption and a lot of adaptions useful during the day
by vhold 4y ago
I think it's a genetic trait diversity bottleneck? Mammals almost all went in the direction of nocturnal adaption and a lot of adaptions useful during the day were lost over time.
- Qem 4y agoLike, mammals are very vulnerable to skin cancer. We lost some traits reptiles have that makes them cope better with UV.
- actually_a_dog 4y agoAnimals in the wild don't typically die of cancer, so that's probably not much of an adaptation evolutionarily. Even if they did die of cancer, it would likely be after they've reproduced, which means there's no selective pressure to develop the adaptation.
- eru 4y ago> Animals in the wild don't typically die of cancer, so that's probably not much of an adaptation evolutionarily. There's lots and lots of adaptations that repair damage to DNA and that deal with damaged cells. So there must have been lots of evolutionary pressure to keep them in place and keep them working. Animals in the wild probably don't typically die of cancer, because those adaptations are in place. But you are right, that even mammals active during the daytime have not (re)gained that specific photolyase DNA mechanism that their ancestors lost.
- tokai 4y agoWild animals do die of cancer and there are evolutionary pressures in regards to carcinogenesis. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eva.12025 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eva.12025
- carlmr 4y agoImagine a cold-blooded reptile with sun allergy.