You're saying that, even though we can make predictions about how beneficial a trait is and study the results, there's no way to prove that our results were due to Natural Selection and not, say, the Invisible Nature Pixie or something like that? Because, regardless of the results, they can be explained by both hypotheses and therefore, no results could ever show that either of those hypotheses were wrong?
The only thing I would like to add is that you should either skip or change the phrase 'beneficial trait'.
If changed, I'd say 'a trait that is selected for'.
In some cases we can predict/suspect that certain traits will be selected for in nature, but those are usually isolated cases. In general it is impossible to make predictions.
Lets take the example 'size'. There are of cource many genes involved in determining the size of an individual, but cases are known where a small mutation can dramatically change the size of an individual. Darfism is a famous example, but there are more.
In any case, there are advantages to being big and there are advantages to being small. So a 'big' gene is not inherently 'beneficial', neither is a 'small' gene (leaving aside many disadvantages dwarfism causes aside from just a smaller size).
So a trait is only beneficial when placed in an organism, in a population, in an ecological system.
Hence there is basically no way of saying that a specific trait is beneficial. One can test a specific trait in a specific organism, population and ecological system and expect the results to replicate the next time a similar trait is introduced in the same way, but then it's still problematic to call it 'beneficial', because it is not inherently beneficial, but only 'preferably selected in the specific situation'.
Natural selection
- 06/08/2011 03:51:26 PM
1234 Views
selection for suitability
- 06/08/2011 04:18:51 PM
874 Views
Thanks for your responce
- 06/08/2011 04:41:20 PM
993 Views
- 06/08/2011 04:41:20 PM
993 Views
I can't speak for LadyLorraine and won't try, but here's how I see it:
- 06/08/2011 06:49:49 PM
948 Views
Just a question
- 06/08/2011 07:18:09 PM
957 Views
Yes it can
- 06/08/2011 07:41:59 PM
797 Views
But how?
- 06/08/2011 07:52:10 PM
1015 Views
Okay, I think I see what you're saying
- 08/08/2011 05:30:43 PM
820 Views
Close
- 08/08/2011 05:41:46 PM
1046 Views
Re: Just a question
- 06/08/2011 07:49:21 PM
1044 Views
I'm not sure I understand you
- 06/08/2011 08:20:44 PM
943 Views
All tautologies are truisms, but not all truisms are tautologies.
- 06/08/2011 09:38:12 PM
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Then it is still a tautology
- 06/08/2011 09:45:33 PM
995 Views
You can know it's beneifical to a particular individual, but it's harder to say for populations.
- 06/08/2011 10:18:16 PM
1058 Views
Maybe...
- 07/08/2011 01:55:54 PM
932 Views
I'm more inclined toward his logic, but possibly toward your conclusions.
- 09/08/2011 12:45:46 AM
990 Views
we can't really know ahead of time what makes a specific trait benefical in that environment
- 09/08/2011 06:16:02 PM
1046 Views
As I understand it
- 06/08/2011 06:04:44 PM
876 Views
Better...
- 06/08/2011 06:36:38 PM
871 Views
Did you perhaps mean "beneficial in the environment" rather than "beneficial to the environment"?
- 06/08/2011 06:34:44 PM
990 Views
yes. I did not really phrase that very clearly. *NM*
- 09/08/2011 06:14:11 PM
396 Views
No biggy; from what Bram said, I underestimated how well you were understood anyway.
- 09/08/2011 06:45:16 PM
919 Views
Hmmm... there's some truth to that
- 06/08/2011 06:36:35 PM
960 Views
The complexity of the problem makes it all but impossible to falsify...
- 06/08/2011 08:26:06 PM
969 Views
The questions go deeper
- 06/08/2011 08:38:31 PM
1002 Views
Re: The questions go deeper
- 06/08/2011 09:10:32 PM
980 Views
I think I know why you don't understand my question.
- 06/08/2011 09:38:41 PM
1010 Views
How many equation's has Moraine screwed up?
*NM*
- 06/08/2011 09:45:36 PM
413 Views
*NM*
- 06/08/2011 09:45:36 PM
413 Views
100% I think Moriaine is a very beneficial trait that contributes a lot to the RAFO pool
*NM*
- 06/08/2011 09:46:54 PM
441 Views
*NM*
- 06/08/2011 09:46:54 PM
441 Views
Re: Natural selection
- 07/08/2011 03:00:30 AM
976 Views
Thanks a lot
- 07/08/2011 01:38:39 PM
1108 Views
2 things
- 07/08/2011 04:00:35 PM
853 Views
Re: 2 things
- 07/08/2011 04:33:00 PM
1080 Views
Re: 2 things
- 07/08/2011 05:48:26 PM
905 Views
My best guess
- 07/08/2011 06:00:28 PM
963 Views
Re: My best guess
- 07/08/2011 06:37:58 PM
879 Views
Re: My best guess
- 07/08/2011 06:47:26 PM
1030 Views
