A.C.H. wrote:
> I've seen various lists dealing with "limits of selection"; reasons
> why natural selection would not result in perfect (or optimal)
> adaptation. (Dawkins, Mark Ridley, Mayr).
> 
> The following reason is, i believe, not in those lists:
> 
> because an adaptation is caused by its selection pressure, it can not
> escape its selection pressure.
> 
> Again:
> The adaptation is linked to whatever selects it, it can not outperform
> it.
> 
> Again:  
> an example: a prey will never be able to definitely outperform its
> predator, because there is no selection beyond what's actually doing
> the selecting (the predator).
> 
But there is still selection for prey to be able to definitely 
outperform their predator - if they can't, then there is still a chance 
that it will be eaten.

More generally, I can't understand your point - natural selecton is the 
process that leads to organisms becoming well adapted, so if an organism 
were able to escape its selection prssure, then it would escape from 
becoming adapted.

Bob

-- 
Bob O'Hara

Dept. of Mathematics and Statistics
P.O. Box 68 (Gustaf H„llstr”min katu 2b)
FIN-00014 University of Helsinki
Finland

Telephone: +358-9-191 51479
Mobile: +358 50 599 0540
Fax:  +358-9-191 51400
WWW:  http://www.RNI.Helsinki.FI/~boh/
Journal of Negative Results - EEB: http://www.jnr-eeb.org
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