xanthian@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG (Kent Paul Dolan) (07/16/90)
david@infopro.UUCP (David Fiedler) writes: >Scott.Maxwell@samba.acs.unc.edu (BBS Account) writes: >> For another thing, even if no homosexuals reproduced, there would >> still be homosexuals born from time to time. This is called >> "mutation." Look it up. > You're trying to say homosexuals are mutants? And you're on their side? > Are you sure? The interesting question of how homosexuality (if it has a genetic basis, surely not a given) can persist in a population can be pondered quite independently of ones particular either sexual orientation or attitude toward homosexuality, though keeping a discussion on a polite level when participated in by those in whom homosexuality elicits a fear/aversion/attack response is admittedly a bit tougher. "Mutation" has a bunch of "B" movie connotations that freight its use in normal conversation, but it also has a quite precise scientific usage, interesting in any question of survival of a seemingly counterreproductive trait in a gene pool, e.g. hemophilia. In any case, the example of sickle cell anemia shows that it is quite possible for a "mutation" to thrive in a genetic population, even when its expression as a double recessive gene is 100% lethal to the reproductive success of the carrier, and to confer measurable benefits to that population. The question of interest then becomes (again, whether homosexuality is gene based or not), what survival benefit to the group as a whole is conferred by homosexuality, either when expressed by the groups members, or when carried as an unexpressed gene/behavior by others in the population. Since the sociobiological basis for altruism, another behavior seemingly counter to the reproductive success of the entity displaying it, being genitically based, has been made fairly plausible, though it has not convinced all researchers, there is probably a set of similar arguments to be made for homosexuality. I think it would be hilarious to prove to the rampant homophobes that society as we know it could never have evolved without homosexuality, but I am not a person with the right skill set to do so. Followups to sci.bio. Kent, the man from xanth. <xanthian@Zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> <xanthian@well.sf.ca.us> -- Kent is back. What more could you want. -- Richard Sexton