Re: Adaptationism's Lessons (was Re: Evolution, "adaptation")

Len Piotrowski (lpiotrow@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu)
Thu, 19 Sep 1996 21:25:08 GMT

In article <51noi9$1qn@mtinsc01-mgt.ops.worldnet.att.net> rs222@worldnet.att.net (Robert Snower) writes:

>[snip]

>I am afraid I don't follow your reasoning. The specific behavior is
>adaptive or not (contributes to fitness). Therefore its genetic
>component (if it has one) is adaptive or not.

The same set of systemic properties map to several different outcomes - the
properties of the system do not determine or predict the behavior. So, how
could all outcomes of these related properties have been functionally selected
for under the adaptationist model? In other words, what you referred to in
your original sentence is not a one-to-one functional mapping.

Cheers,

--Lenny__