Re: Who Killed the Australopithecines?
Dave Oldridge (doldridg@fox.nstn.ns.ca)
27 Apr 1995 16:02:40 -0300
In article <bardD7BFI4.Lsq@netcom.com>, bard@netcom.com (BARD) wrote:
> In article <3n430h$pou@rebecca.albany.edu>,
> Phil Nicholls <pn8886@csc.albany.edu> wrote:
> >In article <3n1rdk$hpu@ixnews2.ix.netcom.com>,
> >Extinction happens. Sometimes there are reasons, sometimes its
> >a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
> Other than the fact that A. species is no longer with us, what
> is your *EVIDENCE* to support the hypothesis their demise
> came by way of natural extinction?
"Natural extinction" is simply the null hypothesis. It can be readily
shown that, in a stable population of animals, even a small selection
advantage will result in the extinction of the less-favored variant.
Certain assumptions must be borne in mind, though. The new variant must
be genetically isolated from the parent strain (or all that will result
is an increase in its frequency in the gene pool). The population must
be fairly stable, at least within the range of the variant that is
disappearing. Computer simulations have shown that nothing else is
necessary. No further evidence of this "natural extinction" is
required. It depends on processes that are always going on and that are
well known.
Now...what WAS the evidence for your "genocide" theory?
--
Dave Oldridge
doldridg@fox.nstn.ns.ca
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