Anthony Campbell 
Subject: Re: Cancer and evolution

> AC:-
> Bruce Charlton, a lecturer in epidemiology and public health at the
> University of Newcastle upon Tyne, has proposed the term "endogenous
> parasitism" to describe the processes of cancer development and aging.
> His idea is that natural selection will act to favour the replication of
> "selfish" genes at the expense of those which are supposed to regulate
> cells.  
> Reference:
> Charlton BG. 'Senescence, cancer, and "endogenous parasites":  a
> salutogenic hypothesis'. Journal of the Royal College of Physicians, 
> 1996;30:10-12

JE:-
At last a self consistent theory of selfish geneism!

If a gene is self consistently selfish then it must 
over replicate _within_ and not just _between_ Darwinian 
fertile organism generations of that gene. Of course, 
cancer provides a classical case of what happens to 
real selfish geneism. It simply evolves to extinction. 
The reason why this is the case is not obvious.
If genes form nested sets of fitness then genes can
only be selected as a part of the largest set they
are nested within. This can be tested refutation
to be the Darwinian fertile organism 
level of fitness. This being the case selfish genes
cannot be selected for. This will not stop them
appearing via random processes, i.e. as a part of
heritable variation. It just means nature should 
select against cancerous cells when they do appear.
The vigour by which nature selects against them may 
vary with age. Indeed cancer could evolve to become
a mutualised (a process where both the Darwinian 
fertile organism level and the cell level evolve 
an absolute and not just relative fitness compliment)
if the death of the organism actually increases and
does not decrease that organisms Darwinian fitness.
At first glance such a situation appears an impossibility.
However I submit that since parents have to die because
of a physics entropy maximand then dying at the right 
time and place to benefit their own absolute Darwinian 
fitness total could evolve to become a mutualised benefit.

Regards,

John Edser
Independent Researcher

PO Box 266
Church Pt
NSW 2105
Australia

edser{at}tpg.com.au
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