On Sat, Aug 23, 1997 at 08:47:03AM -0500, Jim Choate wrote:
Forwarded message:
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 22:42:34 -0700 From: Kent Crispin <kent@songbird.com> Subject: Re: lack of evolutionary pressures (was Re: An end to "court appointed attorneys")
The evolutionary definition of "competent" is "propagate your genetic material". A rough corollary is that those who raise the most children to child-bearing age are the most competent.
With all due respect, bullshit. Fecundity is in no way related to long-term survival as detailed in the various theories of Neo-Darwinian evolution or in actual studies.
Note that I didn't say "fecundity". And note also that I said "rough corollary". Furthermore, it is simply false to state that "fecundity is in no way related etc etc". A dominant gene that causes a fecundity of zero, for example, will not propagate. [...]
Also note that Mayr has a new book out (about a year old I believe) that covers some of the most recent changes of the punctuated-equilibria and neo-darminian camps.
Thanks -- I will look into it. I know of Dr Mayr's work from other sources, but I didn't know he had a new book out. -- Kent Crispin "No reason to get excited", kent@songbird.com the thief he kindly spoke... PGP fingerprint: B1 8B 72 ED 55 21 5E 44 61 F4 58 0F 72 10 65 55 http://songbird.com/kent/pgp_key.html