I'm suppose to explain this quote:
"Natural selection designs species. It never invents a design; it merely chooses from the range of varieties that happen to be at hand. By this act of choice, however, it sets the existing designs of species all the same."
If someone could either explain it to me or give me a helpful website, that would be great.
2006-10-18 15:49:04 · 5 answers · asked by Lexy 4 in Education & Reference ➔ Homework Help
I really would love to help you but I cannot because I do not believe in natural selection! I believe in a Creator!
In the beginning GOD Created the heaven and the earth!
2006-10-18 15:54:33 · answer #1 · answered by Q girl! 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Natural selection needs two things in order to work, firstly variation which is caused by mutation in DNA (the stuff of which genes are made) and secondly by selection pressures in the environment, one of these conditions isn't enough both have to be present.
In other words a gene can mutate but for it to result in a change in the species it has to confer an advantage to the entity it has mutated within, so for example a gene that caused a slight increase in hairiness would be selected if the world was getting colder, if the world was just staying the same then the mutation might well just disappear and no increase in hair cover would result.
It may well be that several centuries later the world does indeed get colder but the mutation that happened once before just doesn't happen, it is essentially lost to that species which might even die out. Hence your statement above, natural selection cannot demand a 'hairy gene' when it suits it has to work with what is available at the time, one reason why species go extinct.
2006-10-18 16:08:38 · answer #2 · answered by fourmorebeers 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's my view that Natural Selection doesn't design anything. Species design themselves through the mostly passive process of Natural Selection or 'survival of the fittest'. Man's intelligence and invention of modern technology has thrown a huge spanner in the works however.
2006-10-18 16:10:46 · answer #3 · answered by Neil S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's saying that Natural Selection doesn't create a "blueprint' for a species. It takes the existing "blueprints" and models other species after those. Whichever species adapt best have their "blueprints" chosen.
Understand what i mean? Don't hesitate to contact me if you need more help
~Abhorsen
2006-10-18 15:52:58 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You gunna die soon, thats what it means. Enjoy your sleep tonight!!
2006-10-18 15:58:00 · answer #5 · answered by smash_mouth_man2003 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋