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I was just listening to eons in my car and specifically the episode about armored fish, and the thought occurred to me: isn't evolution ultimately selecting for adaptability? (m.youtube.com)

submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by Melatonin@lemmy.dbzer0.com to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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It would seem the design that can survive the most extinctions would be the clear winner in the end.

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[–] WarmSoda@lemm.ee 6 points 9 months ago (3 children)

There's isn't anything doing selecting. A gene mutates and if it stays in the mating cycle enough times to become part of the species as a whole then it's become "selected". That includes things that aren't good for adapting to an environment as well as things that are.

[–] shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago (2 children)

This makes me wonder, why are there no 100% albino species considering albinos can be found in every species and can only produce other albino offspring when paired with other albinos?

[–] IonAddis@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

Aren't there, in blind cave species where there's no pressure to select for coloring to protect from the sun or to camouflage or display for mates?

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

If they can only albino offspring when paired with other albinos that indicates it’s a recessive gene.

Recessive genes don’t take over gene pools unless they confer some survival advantage.

[–] Anticorp@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

And usually albinos are at a distinct disadvantage. Their camouflage doesn't work, or their mating colors aren't present, or they get burned up by the sun, or a hundred other disadvantages depending on the species and environment.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee 1 points 9 months ago

Differential reproductive success does the selecting: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2009/2009-h/2009-h.htm