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I think people often think of natural selection as only allowing the best to exist, when really it allows what can exist to exist, even if the mutation provides
by wolfish 18y ago
I think people often think of natural selection as only allowing the best to exist, when really it allows what can exist to exist, even if the mutation provides no benefit.
- Scriptor 18y agoWhen you get down to it, natural selection is merely about who is able to create the most successful offspring. The fact that the offspring have very similar traits as their parents is the reason why these offspring are themselves likely to reproduce successfully. The question then is weaker jaw muscles somehow became more prevalent than stronger ones. As I explained in another comment, this might be because the trait was able to survive recessively until a good genetic environment was available.
- wolfish 18y agoI don't think its necessary to create the most successful offspring, merely offspring that can reproduce before they die.
- endtime 18y agoWell, doesn't it depend on how harsh the environment is? For example, if there's not enough food for the population then only those most capable of acquiring food will survive. But today, where we have great plenty (in some parts of the world) and advanced medical care etc, what you said is certainly true.