[Taxacom] (no subject)

[John Grehan]

Not speaking for Mike to whom the question was directed, I would agree that
there is a difference between the frequency of polymorphisms through
selection and the evolutionary origin of those polymorphisms. The molecular
geneticist Dover suggested that 'molecular drive' mechanisms (including
biased gene conversion) and natural selection represented two mechanisms
for 'improbable' change and that these mechanisms existed in a dynamic
relationship. It does seem that studies in developmental genetics are
pointing to molecular drive mechanisms underlying much, if not most, of the
structural organization of life. Jeffrey Schwartz once noted that
developmental geneticists often generate work demonstrating the importance
of genetic mechanisms for evolution, but when they transfer these models
into an evolutionary context they just fall back on simplistic selection
stories.

John Grehan

On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 9:07 PM, Rob Smissen <SmissenR at landcareresearch.co.nz
> wrote:

> Hi y'all
>
>
>
> I think Micahael is quite correct that hair on snails or any other trait
> of an organism might have nothing to do with any purpose/end/advantage. And
> I agree whole heartedly that genomic change is not well modelled as random,
> and that genetic polymorphism is not unlimited and unconstrained.
>
>
>
> However, I do think that selection plays an important role in determining
> which polymorphisms (however they arise) are maintained within populations.
>
>
>
> Michael are you arguing that all evolution is the result of prior trends
> in genomes unmediated by selection, the majority, or just some stuff here
> and there?
>
>
>
> cheers
>
> Rob
>
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