[net.origins] Behavior & Evolution

lew@ihlpa.UUCP (Lew Mammel, Jr.) (04/04/85)

Ken Arndt was amused by a statement he read that "the brain drives evolution."
Apparently believing this to mean that we can "will" anatomical change,
and that these changes would be inherited, Ken attempted a satire.

All this means, Ken, is that behavior creates selective pressures, just
as environment does. For example, tool usage will cause selection for
hands better adapted to grip.

If you want to make fun of Darwinism, fine. But you might try to know
what it means first. This was pretty lame.

	Lew Mammel, Jr. ihnp4!ihlpa!lew

bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron Howes) (04/05/85)

In article <177@ihlpa.UUCP> lew@ihlpa.UUCP (Lew Mammel, Jr.) writes:

>All this means, Ken, is that behavior creates selective pressures, just
>as environment does. For example, tool usage will cause selection for
>hands better adapted to grip.

Not quite.  It's important to be accurate here.  It isn't tool usage
that causes selection for hands better adapted to grip, it is the
survival advantage that individuals with better adapted hands have
because they can use tools more efficiently and more accurately. The
genetic component of "good hands" thus has a greater probability of
being passed on to the next generation.

This isn't a flame, only a clarification.

-- 

						Byron C. Howes
				      ...!{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!bch