Religions > Atheism > In Give and Take of Evolution, a Surprising Contribution From Islands
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Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"maff" |
| Date: |
22 Nov 2005 06:16:02 AM |
| Object: |
In Give and Take of Evolution, a Surprising Contribution From Islands |
In Give and Take of Evolution, a Surprising Contribution From Islands
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/22/science/22isla.html
By CARL ZIMMER
Researchers have found evidence that islands can act as engines of
evolution instead of dead ends.
Galapagos
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.atheism/msg/bb5acdca93af45e6
Carl Zimmer
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.atheism/msg/3c4fd1be365c76ef
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| User: "allanm" |
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| Title: Re: In Give and Take of Evolution, a Surprising Contribution From Islands |
22 Nov 2005 12:42:39 PM |
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maff wrote:
In Give and Take of Evolution, a Surprising Contribution From Islands
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/22/science/22isla.html
By CARL ZIMMER
Researchers have found evidence that islands can act as engines of
evolution instead of dead ends.
Galapagos
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.atheism/msg/bb5acdca93af45e6
Carl Zimmer
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.atheism/msg/3c4fd1be365c76ef
I suppose we have to allow for journalistic hyperbole but I'm
surprised it's considered a surprise. Geographical isolation has long
been considered a strong driver for evolutionary change. Smaller
populations can assimilate new variation more rapidly, and a sampled
subset of environmental and biological hazards (predators, diseases,
prey) can result in differential pressures compared to neighbouring
islands or mainland, leading to a differential evolutionary arc.
Whether island species are a 'dead end' is another issue. If they
are extant, they are no more a dead end than anything else. They may on
the average be less well equipped to compete with their generally more
robust and heretogeneous mainland buddies, but evolution proceeds by
exceptions, not averages.
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