LINK The Darwinian ‘Struggle for Existence’ is Really About Balance – The Evolution Institute
>>>Darwin’s concept was therefore an umbrella term that he utilized to describe three unique forms of struggle:
- Cooperative mutualism between individuals in the same species as well as between different species,
- Competition between individuals in the same species or between one species with another, and
- Strategies that enhance fitness when confronted by harsh environments. Any of these forms that led to greater fitness, which Darwin defined as “success in leaving progeny,” or reproductive success, would therefore be vital to understanding natural selection.<<<
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I read somewhere that Darwin never used the term “survival of the fittest”, and to his death he declared that he was being misquoted and misunderstood, and that natural selection is not the only driver of evolution.
Natural selection is easy to understand and it so neatly explains things that we want to believe it. It feels good to think that everything is well understood and under control, but actually the evolution of life is incredibly complex and shrouded in mystery.
Epigenetic studies show that the dna of organisms can be changed by the environment. Species can evolve almost instantly over wide areas.
It’s weird.
WilliamFleming
Level 8
Oct 31, 2019
2
@Matias OK
While the phrase "survival of the fittest" is often used to mean "natural selection", it is avoided by modern biologists, because the phrase can be misleading. For example, survival is only one aspect of selection, and not always the most important. Another problem is that the word "fit" is frequently confused with a state of physical fitness. In the evolutionary meaning "fitness" is the rate of reproductive output among a class of genetic variants
@Matias are you sure that DNA can’t be changed by the environment? There has been evidence that our genes pass on learnt skills to our children as well as physical and mental traits.
@girlwithsmiles Here’s an article that tries to explain gene expression if you can make anything of it.
What is a profound mystery to me is how such a complex sequence of events can proceed automatically without oversight. I get the feeling that no one knows.
@Matias I’ve moved and jettisoned all my old new scientists. This study may have been a for runner to the study they told us about,( in the new scientist) earlier in the year
[sciencedaily.com] the page has ads apologies.
But obviously they still had work to do at that stage.
@WilliamFleming that’s interesting. So we’re learning more about which can develop and which are likely to be disgarded or passive?
@girlwithsmiles I don’t know if anyone knows that. I’m not very knowledgeable in that area.
@WilliamFleming oh, ok. Thanks for your honesty.
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