If you kill your own clone

codewarrior · #1 10-11-2005, 06:15 AM

Good point. So, might not clones killing each other off be Darwinian?

diebitter · #2 10-11-2005, 06:48 AM

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Good point. So, might not clones killing each other off be Darwinian?

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Not really. Destroying anything with which you share a significant proportion of active DNA has enourmous evolutionary pressures against it (how long would a gene last if there was some +ve desire to kill your children, for example?) - I qualify that so that where there are exceptions to this, they ultimately lead to more of your dna getting to the next generation, not less (hence mothers may kill runts, so the rest have better survival changes).

But this circumstances described here is so weird and out of the natural order, thinking in terms of evolution is inappropriate anyway.

codewarrior · #3 10-11-2005, 07:23 AM

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But this circumstances described here is so weird and out of the natural order, thinking in terms of evolution is inappropriate anyway.

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Not if the next step in human evolution is controlling it ourselves. Of course, this begs the question of the definition of evolution, or if we will reach a point where "natural" evolution ceases to be.

I agree this is all very weird, which makes it interesting. Topics like this can make you question the more mundane, and think about simpler things in new ways.

diebitter · #4 10-11-2005, 07:36 AM

I agree.

One aside that isn't central, but may be of interest to those casual browers that don't know the ins and outs of evolutionary theory is that - in fact - species do self-select in the subset of evolutionary theory called 'sexual selection'. Including humans.

For example, some traits do not exist for the survival of the species, but for the survival of the gene. If females find something attractive about a male that isn't specific to survival (strength is a benefit for survival for example, but bright tail feathers may be the opposite!), then they'll breed anyway, and that thing will propogate. And here's the rub - that thing becomes itself a evolutionary pressure, for by being attractive, it helps itself pass to the next generation - and so on and on.

This is all an aside to the main thread, I'd emphasise. But may give a hint of what 'self-evolution' brings.

Personally, I find that sort of thing sinister (nazis etc), as it will emphasise the control and reduction of the gene pool to 'desirable' traits, whilst I believe the future of humankind must be in the widest possible genetic diversity.