I have a pretty good idea of what the responses are going to be, but here goes anyway ...
[BTW, this post was inspired by something written elsewhere by an acquaintance]
In his Origin, Darwin talks about speed in a wolf as advantageous in an environment where prey is scarce.
So here's a thought experiment: a mutation occurs where a wolf is able to run significantly faster than his fellow wolves. BTW, if you think that this is unlikely or impossible then you should think of humans born with IQs significantly higher than average - 1.7 to 2.2 times higher (or more). That may well have been a mutation - no one really knows - since the parents are often times of average intelligence. For argument's sake, let's attribute it to a mutation a la Darwinian Evolution.
Anyway, so now we have this wolf that is able to run, say, twice as fast as his peers. Sounds like this wolf has a clear advantage, right? I mean, he's going to catch the deer that gets away from the other slowpokes. [Yes, I am aware that wolves hunt in packs, I could have used a cheetah ... just stay with me]
So this wolf is chasing its prey and is about ready to make the kill when it collapses - its heart has exploded (heart attack). Why? Because at that speed the required metabolic rate put far more strain on its heart than what the heart, configured as it was, could handle.
Oops - unless the wolf mutated so that both speed and much stronger heart muscles 'Evolved' simultaneously, the additional speed (a Darwinian "clear advantage") would lead to its death (not a good thing).
Are you getting the essence of my point with this thought experiment or must it be spelled out?
Jorge
[BTW, this post was inspired by something written elsewhere by an acquaintance]
In his Origin, Darwin talks about speed in a wolf as advantageous in an environment where prey is scarce.
So here's a thought experiment: a mutation occurs where a wolf is able to run significantly faster than his fellow wolves. BTW, if you think that this is unlikely or impossible then you should think of humans born with IQs significantly higher than average - 1.7 to 2.2 times higher (or more). That may well have been a mutation - no one really knows - since the parents are often times of average intelligence. For argument's sake, let's attribute it to a mutation a la Darwinian Evolution.
Anyway, so now we have this wolf that is able to run, say, twice as fast as his peers. Sounds like this wolf has a clear advantage, right? I mean, he's going to catch the deer that gets away from the other slowpokes. [Yes, I am aware that wolves hunt in packs, I could have used a cheetah ... just stay with me]
So this wolf is chasing its prey and is about ready to make the kill when it collapses - its heart has exploded (heart attack). Why? Because at that speed the required metabolic rate put far more strain on its heart than what the heart, configured as it was, could handle.
Oops - unless the wolf mutated so that both speed and much stronger heart muscles 'Evolved' simultaneously, the additional speed (a Darwinian "clear advantage") would lead to its death (not a good thing).
Are you getting the essence of my point with this thought experiment or must it be spelled out?
Jorge
Comment