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gentic diversity and natural selection.
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Rolf
Jun 17, 2013, 5:28:32 AM6/17/13
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A couple of quotes from comments to
http://pandasthumb.org/archives/2013/06/postdoc-positio.html
QUOTE
1. Yes, this is the problem with Tasmanian devils. Their genetic diversity
is so low that the cancer cells are not recognized as external, which allows
them to grow tumors in another individual.
***
2. This seems like the perfect system to study mutation rates and
distribution of different types of mutations. It should be possible to
demonstrate that mutations occur randomly with respect to the needs of the
organism, without the confounding effects of selection obscuring the
pattern. Is this type of analysis planned as part of the study? Good luck
Reed, the project sounds fascinating.
UNQUOTE
What struck me is that what we see is the dangers of too little genetic
diversity. I suppose sexual reproduction is one of nature's ways of reducing
that problem.
Since natural selection is the stumbling stone for Ray Martinez I note that
the second comment address that subject.
RM's obsession with immutability looks like an argument that genetic
diversity is an evil that we'd better off without.
Rolf
http://pandasthumb.org/archives/2013/06/postdoc-positio.html
QUOTE
1. Yes, this is the problem with Tasmanian devils. Their genetic diversity
is so low that the cancer cells are not recognized as external, which allows
them to grow tumors in another individual.
***
2. This seems like the perfect system to study mutation rates and
distribution of different types of mutations. It should be possible to
demonstrate that mutations occur randomly with respect to the needs of the
organism, without the confounding effects of selection obscuring the
pattern. Is this type of analysis planned as part of the study? Good luck
Reed, the project sounds fascinating.
UNQUOTE
What struck me is that what we see is the dangers of too little genetic
diversity. I suppose sexual reproduction is one of nature's ways of reducing
that problem.
Since natural selection is the stumbling stone for Ray Martinez I note that
the second comment address that subject.
RM's obsession with immutability looks like an argument that genetic
diversity is an evil that we'd better off without.
Rolf
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