Re: [asa] New foray by the DiscoverY Institute

Instead of mutation, a better term is variation

On Dec 24, 2007 2:36 PM, D. F. Siemens, Jr. <dfsiemensjr@juno.com> wrote:
>
> On Mon, 24 Dec 2007 16:23:40 -0500 Dave Wallace <wdwllace@sympatico.ca>
> writes:
> > Gregory
> >
> > If evolution is defined as "the generation of complexity through
> > mutation and selection" then I think lots of things in various
> > fields of
> > study evolve:
> >
> > -stellar
> > -biological
> > -social systems
> > -culture
> > -behavior in animal groupings
> > -linguistics
> > -...
> >
> > Dave W
> >
> I find a problem with the use of "mutation and selection." While
> "mutation" may merely mean "change," the commonest usage seems to be in
> connection with a specific kind of change in the genome. There are other
> changes in the genome, even, which are not commonly termed
> mutations--crossovers, deletions, inversions, etc. I think perhaps
> "variation, especially unidirectional" would cover matters better. As to
> selection, it seems not to apply to stars or galaxies. There does seem to
> me to be application of some kind in the other groupings. Directional
> change seems to characterize all that evolves, but other
> characterizations seem more remote.
> Dave (ASA)
>
>
> To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
> "unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
>

To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
Received on Mon Dec 24 20:33:59 2007