[ExI] (no subject)

[William Flynn Wallace]

I don't have a response to this post, but want to make a general comment:
if something is common is does not mean that there are genes for it.  Most
things are learned on a genetic base.

Rats manipulate things with their front paws and learn mazes really well.
These are things they do commonly in nature.  But if you were to try to
teach a rat to manipulate things, to learn something, with their back feet,
I think you'd have big trouble.

It's called prepared learning - meaning learning that comes easily because
there is a strong genetic basis for it.  Fear learning is the most easily
created because fear is basic to survival.  People easily learn to fear
spiders but won't learn to fear door knobs with any kind of training.

So just be on the alert for types of learning.  Nothing is completely
genetic, no matter how important it is for the creature.

bill w
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