Evolution is not as random as previously thought, finds new study (phys.org)

submitted 10 months ago by GreyShuck@feddit.uk to c/biology@mander.xyz

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A new study has found that evolution is not as unpredictable as previously thought, which could allow scientists to explore which genes could be useful to tackle real-world issues such as antibiotic resistance, disease, and climate change.

The study, which is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), challenges the long-standing belief about the unpredictability of evolution and has found that the evolutionary trajectory of a genome may be influenced by its evolutionary history, rather than determined by numerous factors and historical accidents.

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[-] Spzi@lemm.ee 1 points 10 months ago

So is a crucial part of the theory no longer “survival of the fittest?” Because that’s straight Malthus.

Not a biologist either, but I read "The selfish Gene". I'm not completely sure what (part) you mean with Malthusianism.

I would strongly say yes, evolution is all about "survival of the fittest". 'Fit' as in 'adapted to the current environment'. It's not about being stronger, bigger, superior. For example, being small, slow and having very low needs can make you very fit to survive in harsh environments. In other environments, being stronger and bigger can be advantageous indeed. Apparently, both (or all sorts of) extremes exist in nature.

What the book tought me is to look at the genes, not at individuals or even species. So the quote is all about "those genes who manage to do better in their current environments survive".

Can you tell me what Malthusianism means for you, and how you would connect it to this?

this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2024

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