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
1400 Views
selection for suitability
- 06/08/2011 04:18:51 PM
1033 Views
Thanks for your responce
- 06/08/2011 04:41:20 PM
1166 Views
- 06/08/2011 04:41:20 PM
1166 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
1122 Views
Just a question
- 06/08/2011 07:18:09 PM
1122 Views
Yes it can
- 06/08/2011 07:41:59 PM
950 Views
But how?
- 06/08/2011 07:52:10 PM
1174 Views
Okay, I think I see what you're saying
- 08/08/2011 05:30:43 PM
966 Views
Close
- 08/08/2011 05:41:46 PM
1217 Views
Re: Just a question
- 06/08/2011 07:49:21 PM
1215 Views
I'm not sure I understand you
- 06/08/2011 08:20:44 PM
1115 Views
All tautologies are truisms, but not all truisms are tautologies.
- 06/08/2011 09:38:12 PM
1169 Views
Then it is still a tautology
- 06/08/2011 09:45:33 PM
1165 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
1222 Views
Maybe...
- 07/08/2011 01:55:54 PM
1076 Views
I'm more inclined toward his logic, but possibly toward your conclusions.
- 09/08/2011 12:45:46 AM
1159 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
1185 Views
As I understand it
- 06/08/2011 06:04:44 PM
1023 Views
Better...
- 06/08/2011 06:36:38 PM
1019 Views
Did you perhaps mean "beneficial in the environment" rather than "beneficial to the environment"?
- 06/08/2011 06:34:44 PM
1145 Views
yes. I did not really phrase that very clearly. *NM*
- 09/08/2011 06:14:11 PM
479 Views
No biggy; from what Bram said, I underestimated how well you were understood anyway.
- 09/08/2011 06:45:16 PM
1062 Views
Hmmm... there's some truth to that
- 06/08/2011 06:36:35 PM
1115 Views
The complexity of the problem makes it all but impossible to falsify...
- 06/08/2011 08:26:06 PM
1135 Views
The questions go deeper
- 06/08/2011 08:38:31 PM
1158 Views
Re: The questions go deeper
- 06/08/2011 09:10:32 PM
1132 Views
I think I know why you don't understand my question.
- 06/08/2011 09:38:41 PM
1177 Views
How many equation's has Moraine screwed up?
*NM*
- 06/08/2011 09:45:36 PM
489 Views
*NM*
- 06/08/2011 09:45:36 PM
489 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
524 Views
*NM*
- 06/08/2011 09:46:54 PM
524 Views
Re: Natural selection
- 07/08/2011 03:00:30 AM
1136 Views
Thanks a lot
- 07/08/2011 01:38:39 PM
1258 Views
2 things
- 07/08/2011 04:00:35 PM
1004 Views
Re: 2 things
- 07/08/2011 04:33:00 PM
1217 Views
Re: 2 things
- 07/08/2011 05:48:26 PM
1068 Views
My best guess
- 07/08/2011 06:00:28 PM
1140 Views
Re: My best guess
- 07/08/2011 06:37:58 PM
1031 Views
Re: My best guess
- 07/08/2011 06:47:26 PM
1199 Views
