Xref: utzoo sci.bio:1993 talk.origins:4925
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!lll-winken!uunet!acates!dan
From: dan@acates.UUCP (Dan Ford)
Newsgroups: sci.bio,talk.origins
Subject: Re: The birds and the beaks
Summary: Evolution of cave albinos
Keywords: evolution, birds, beaks
Message-ID: <273@acates.UUCP>
Date: 13 Apr 89 06:52:30 GMT
References: <28330@apple.Apple.COM> <3561@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu> <28379@apple.Apple.COM> <3566@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu> <28434@apple.Apple.COM> <3576@aplcomm.jhuapl.edu>
Reply-To: dan@acates.UUCP (Dan Ford)
Organization: Acates, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 26

It seems to me that not all evolution can be explained in terms of simple 
environmental selection.  My example is the albino cave fish, shrimp, and
various varied darkness dwellers.  These critters ware decendants from colored
animals, and yet that have become albino.  This cannot be due to environmental
selection, since you cannot have selection for (lack of) color in the black
caves.  It is a repeatedly seen pattern of change, and not a single odd
species mutation.

What might be going on: In the above-ground population there is a constant
(but small) mutation rate of albinos.  On the surface this is very bad, and
is quickly selected against.  Underground, however, it is not a disadvantage
and may continue in the gene pool.  But, not only does it continue, but it
apparently is selected FOR since you end up with all these albino animals.
How can coloring possibly be selected for in a dark environment?  Why a
repeated selection of albino in an environment where color is meaningless?

Odd theory, which I call evolutionaly entropy:  complex structures must be
selected for in order to continue, or they suffer from random mutation
and are degraded, possibly disappearing from the gene pool.  This is not
to say that such things are selected against, but just that lack of selection
FOR them is enough to have the trait leave. Complexity is good only if it
solves a problem and improves surviveability, otherwise "keep-it-simple-stupid"
(KISS). In this case, get rid of color since it isn't useful.

Dan Ford      uunet!acates!dan
"You may not have stolen any eggs, but I bet you've poached a few." Odd Bodkins