Cling to those ancient ideas Eoin; advances in DNA characterization will allow what you say can't be done; I look forward to hearing about my dollar when your will is read.
Actually I don't think we are in too much disagreement. DNA techniques can't be used now, but that area is in its infancy. And 'molecular' covers environment too. Every external stimulus an organism experiences has at least one molecule involved somewhere. On the news tonight was a piece about type II diabetes in rats, for which there is a genetic link and an environmental link - fat fathers produce daughters more likely to get diabetes. A gene is turned off or on or a receptor activates a process because of the presence of a specific chemical, or in the case of some receptors any one of hundreds of chemicals. It's just a matter of time before all the particular 'species' (or whatever the new biological unit will be called) genes are identified... but maybe not in our lifetimes.
Grey-faced/great-winged petrel
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Graham Saunders
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- Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:53 pm
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Ian Southey
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Re: Grey-faced/great-winged petrel
Graham
I find the transformation of the the genome into something living is full of mysteries but really interesting. So, say they all do get unravelled one day, you still won't be any closer to that little thing that is speciation. You will still be looking for a series of populations that are not significantly interacting with each other.
For a first look you should see that in key variations between the populations (=species) the differences are substantially greater than those among the individuals in each population. In detail you need to look at the interactions between these populations (usually whether or not they interbreed - "isolating mechanisms") and whether or not these interactions are or are not of consequence. Some of this is strongly genetic and shows in how well the organism is put together but some is strongly dependent on environmental pressures which may, of course, change.
It takes a lot to be omnipotent.
Ian
I find the transformation of the the genome into something living is full of mysteries but really interesting. So, say they all do get unravelled one day, you still won't be any closer to that little thing that is speciation. You will still be looking for a series of populations that are not significantly interacting with each other.
For a first look you should see that in key variations between the populations (=species) the differences are substantially greater than those among the individuals in each population. In detail you need to look at the interactions between these populations (usually whether or not they interbreed - "isolating mechanisms") and whether or not these interactions are or are not of consequence. Some of this is strongly genetic and shows in how well the organism is put together but some is strongly dependent on environmental pressures which may, of course, change.
It takes a lot to be omnipotent.
Ian
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Graham Saunders
- Posts: 232
- Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 11:53 pm
Re: Grey-faced/great-winged petrel
Ian, see my answer on the queer NZ quail thread.