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> What is clearly true is a more restricted version - no gene will be selected for if it causes zero reproduction Like the genes that cause someone to become a

by lutusp 12y ago

> What is clearly true is a more restricted version - no gene will be selected for if it causes zero reproduction Like the genes that cause someone to become a doctor and minister to his/her genetic cohort? I think your argument doesn't go deep enough into how genetics works. We should all remember that reproduction isn't about individuals, it's about genes. The old question about the chicken and the egg actually has an answer -- a chicken is an egg's way to make another egg.

dllthomas 12y ago
You truncated my statement in a way that changed its meaning. I was explicitly focused on the gene. If it causes zero reproduction across all carriers then ministering to my relatives does not increase the chance of that gene spreading, as any of my "genetic cohort" in possession of the gene will not be reproducing. It may help my other genes, but that doesn't cause the one to be selected for. Note also that I said "reproduction of any sort" - some infertile strains of produce have done quite well in an environment where humans clone and graft. Theoretically, that could apply to humans although at present I don't think it does.