[ExI] the ethics of the Vile Offspring
Damien Broderick
thespike at satx.rr.com
Sun May 22 18:36:13 UTC 2011
On 5/22/2011 1:04 PM, Keith Henson wrote:
> Where do their phenotypes come from?
There are various contributors. Genes, epigenetic modulation from
environmental factors, direct environmental inputs (cyclical or
stochastic amounts of heat, water, necessary chemicals, other
creatures), etc. Granted, there has to be a suite of genes able to
generate proteins that can build and continue to adapt a workable
phenotype--but I understand that in a lot of cases, very different genes
are able to build critters of a convergent phenotype, and it's the
phenotype that thrives and breeds. In other words, there are somewhat
independent levels that all have to be taken into account in the complex
process of "reproductive success."
Damien Broderick
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