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The survival of the individual is exactly what is being selected for. The influence of an individual gene is not distinguishable from those that are packaged wi
by yarg 3y ago
The survival of the individual is exactly what is being selected for.
The influence of an individual gene is not distinguishable from those that are packaged with it.
So what is selected for over any single cycle is sets of sets of genes conveying advantage.
Taking half of your genes from each parent could only select whole useful chromosomes from each parent (but is far better than nothing);
In order for genes to be selected in their own rights, you need more.
Chromosomal crossover copies genes across chromosome pairs - over the course of repeated iterations this allows useful mutations to be more easily distinguished.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromosomal_crossover https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromosomal_crossover
- hgomersall 3y agoThere are plenty of ways in which the genes of an individual may survive better when the individual has reduced survival. The individual in this case being the large multicellular organism. Hence we see all sorts of weird strategies in the wild like sexual cannibalism: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_cannibalism https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexual_cannibalism
- wcoenen 3y ago> The survival of the individual is exactly what is being selected for. The influence of an individual gene is not distinguishable from those that are packaged with it. Here is a counterexample where a gene or set of genes jumped ship and untethered itself from the individual they were originally embedded in: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_facial_tumour_disease https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil_facial_tumour_disease