X-Message-Number: 12817 From: "Phil Rhoades" <> Subject: Evolutionary advantage in old mice? Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 23:28:23 -0000 Hi all, > >>He can not find any down side to the mice at all but he speculates there must > >>be one someplace because otherwise evolution would already have found this fix; > >Rand Simberg <> in #12806 Wrote: > > >I would conclude from this statement that he doesn't understand evolution. > >From the standpoint of evolution, there is nothing broken to "fix." There > >is no obvious benefit to the mouse genotype from in having the phenotypes > >live longer than they already do, > >That's not what I would conclude. I would conclude that long life for mice would >be an evolutionary advantage and the advantage is obvious, it just isn't very big; >it would not be worth even a small reduction in the fertility rates of young mice. >At least it wouldn't be worth it from evolution's point of view, the mice may have >another opinion on the subject. Rand is right - there is no advantage - all that matters is getting as many copies of the genes as possible into the next generation - what do you mean the advantage is obvious? R&LL, Phil. Philip Rhoades Pricom Pty Limited (ACN 003 252 275) GPO Box 3411 Sydney NSW 2001 Australia Mobile: +61:0411-185-652 Fax: +61:2:9929-5312 E-mail: Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=12817