One of the things I am interested in is how nature
creatures complex things. The latest New Scientist
(from 27 Sep. 2008) has an article named "As if from
nowhere" about the topic of "relaxed selection", a
concept invented by Terry Deacon. Terry Deacon is
an anthropology professor at Berkeley.
According to Deacon, relaxed selection is a special
form of natural selection, where the selection
pressure and the competition is low (i.e. where
natural selection itself is nearly absent), and the
variety of traits which are able to survive and
reproduce is high. When the selection pressures lift,
genomes go wandering and new, unexpected traits may
arise. I think if there is a "relaxed selection",
then one can also speak of a "fierce selection":
a natural selection with fierce competition when
the climate is harsh and the food is sparse. Under
this conditions only the best, well adapted individuals
survive.
Does natural selection occurs in different degrees?
During "relaxed selection", the system enters an
exploration phase: the chances of finding new
configurations, traits and features are higher.
The selection pressure for a species to remain
in the corresponding niche is lower.
During "fierce selection", the system enters an
exploitation phase: chances of optimizing existing
configurations, traits and features are higher.
The selection pressure for a species to remain
in the corresponding niche is higher.
What do you think of "relaxed selection" ?
Is Deacon onto something?
-J.
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
