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The article itself contains a misconception. Genetic variation doesn't always come from random mutation. Firstly, there may already be genes in the population
by mark-r 12y ago
The article itself contains a misconception.
Genetic variation doesn't always come from random mutation. Firstly, there may already be genes in the population that just have never been combined yet. Secondly, DNA can integrated from the environment under the right conditions. The amount of human DNA that is estimated to originate from viruses is astounding. And bacteria have been known to develop antibiotic resistance by taking it from unrelated bacteria that already have resistance.
- sago 12y ago> Genetic variation doesn't always come from random mutation. The article didn't imply it did. It says mutation generates genetic variation, not that all genetic variation is generated by mutation. A -> B does not imply B -> A
- mark-r 12y agoI was speaking specifically of this line: > That genetic variation is generated by random mutation — a process that is unaffected by what organisms in the population want or what they are "trying" to do. I have nothing against the second half of that sentence. Perhaps a better explanation was available elsewhere in the article and I missed it. The link originally went to the middle of the page instead of the beginning, so I wasn't taking it in order.
- sago 12y agoAh, sorry. Earlier on it gave the version I was responding to. Still I think in science it is better to not assume universal qualifiers unless they are explicit.