Ron Okimoto  wrote in message
news:...
> Jim McGinn wrote:
> 
> > > Here is a quote from Suzuki et al briefly describing genetic drift:
>  
> > > ""If a population is finite in size (as all
populations are) and if a
> > > given pair of parents have only a small number of offspring, then even
> > > in the absence of all selective forces, the frequency of a
gene will not
> > > be exactly reproduced in the next generation because of
sampling error.
> >
> > Note how Suzuki et al jumps to the conclusion that the
> > observation (a gene will not be exactly reproduced in the
> > next generation) dictates the conclusion that the cause of
> > this observation is, "sampling error," which is nonsensical
> > in light of the fact that sampling error is not causal.
> >
> > Note also that the supposition that, "sampling error," is
> > or can be causal is nonsensical.  To sample involves
> > measurment of a population (Sampling of a population).  What
> > this breaks down to is that measurement causes the change
> > that the measurements measure.  Pure nonsense.
> >
> > > If in a population of 1000 individuals the frequency of
"a" is 0.5 in
> > > one generation, then it may by chance be 0.493 or 0.0505 in the next
> > > generation because of the chance production of a few more or less
> > > progeny of each genotype.
> >
> > Note how Suzuki et al jumps to the conclusion that the
> > observation (a gene will not be exactly reproduced in
> > the next generation) dictates the conclusion that the
> > cause of this observation is, "chance production."
> >
> > Note also that the supposition that, "chance production,"
> > is or can be causal is nonsensical.
> 
> It is a sampling error because a finite set of offspring are produced and
> they do not contain the full set of possibilities.

It's a subset, not a sample.  Regardless of what label we put on it,
it is not causal.

> 
> It is like pulling potential progeny out of a pot, but they are just being
> hatched or born.  I don't see the relevance of your beef here.  What does
> this have to do with your problem with genetic drift.

Please be more specific and explicit.

Jim
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