I've changed the subject line, in a rare attempt to maintain relevance 
to the subject (by re-defining the subject!).

Kevin Aylward wrote:
> Tim Tyler wrote:
> 
>>Kevin Aylward  wrote or quoted:
>>
>>
>>>In my view, too much weight is being given to physical gene methods
>>>of trait propagation. It is  well known that many animals have to
>>>teach their young to hunt. If the parents die too early, the young
>>>never learn and die. This tells us immediately that memes (copied
>>>virtual traits), are *immensely* significant to the survival of
>>>animals.
>>
>>Maybe - of the tiny proportion of animals that have parental care in
>>the first place.
> 
> 
> That was only one particular illustration. 

But a more general point is still valid - only a small proportion of 
species are able to learn, and as importantly, pass that learning on to 
others.


> If your trying to suggest that animals learn nothing from their
> environment, you must have failed 101 zoology. There is no way gene
> hardware can directly cope with the large variations that exist in the
> environment, 

You've obviously never worked on plants, fungi, bacteria, etc. etc.

Bob

-- 
Bob O'Hara

Rolf Nevanlinna Institute
P.O. Box 4 (Yliopistonkatu 5)
FIN-00014 University of Helsinki
Finland
Telephone: +358-9-191 23743
Mobile: +358 50 599 0540
Fax:  +358-9-191 22 779
WWW:  http://www.RNI.Helsinki.FI/~boh/
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