Why is sex so good?

[CallMeIshmael]

I need sleep now, but

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I didn't feel the need to distinguish b/w a species and its genes

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I REALLY bad.

Not making this disctinction pretty much forces everything to fall apart. And defining "fitness" becomes damn near impossible

[CallMeIshmael]

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How is making an organism better for that particular environment just happenstance??

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Because what determines it (environment) IS happenstance.

But, this is just semantics.

[CallMeIshmael]

Sack,

question.

You seem to assume that evolution acts to increase the 'fitness of a species'

thus, fitness is constantly increasing.


Do you believe that humans are more fit than dinosaurs?

[tom441lbk]

[img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] it feels real good when she moves like that

[ElaineMonster]

The reason I used the word happenstance is because I didn't want to use a value judgment like "better" when discussing evolution.

Some traits that survive do so because they are "fitter" than those that don't survive; other traits survive because they don't (seriously) inhibit the survival of the organism/species.

Fitter doesn't mean better; it means suits the *current* environment. Or in some cases, fitter means that the trait allows the organism or species to make the environment suit it.

[ElaineMonster]

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In fact, many women don't have orgasms and some don't even enjoy sex.

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It's debatable whether all that many women are incapable of orgasm. There simply hasn't been enough research.

[SackUp]

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Sack,

question.

You seem to assume that evolution acts to increase the 'fitness of a species'

thus, fitness is constantly increasing.


Do you believe that humans are more fit than dinosaurs?

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I think we are having problems over semantics here. And I may have mispoke. Fitness is indeed determined by the surrounding environment and the environment helps guide which genes pass on - so in that regard evolution works to move towards having the fittest genes move along. However, often evolution doesn't keep up with the environment and unless the species gets a lucky mutation so they have a trait to keep up they are effed. (This is obviously simplified as there is so much going on once you get to the genetic level - but I'm far too removed from the topic to get more detailed w/o having to look stuff up [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]) So evoultion tries to increase fitness - but that doesn't always work out b/c life doesn't work in a stable environment.

So no humans on the whole are no more fit than dinosaurs or any other species that has gone extinct (well i guess they are more fit right now as we are around, but on the whole of the species - no).

Anyhow, definitely fun to discuss this stuff.

[SackUp]

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The reason I used the word happenstance is because I didn't want to use a value judgment like "better" when discussing evolution.

Some traits that survive do so because they are "fitter" than those that don't survive; other traits survive because they don't (seriously) inhibit the survival of the organism/species.

Fitter doesn't mean better; it means suits the *current* environment. Or in some cases, fitter means that the trait allows the organism or species to make the environment suit it.

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Yeah I don't disagree with anything you are saying here. I think I may have mistaken some of what you were saying, so for that I apologize. It was likely just a difference in the terms of art that were used and the level of generality that we all have been discussing.

[elrudo]

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Why is sex so good?


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It better be good at the rates pussy is selling.

[bwana devil]

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While species may not consciously evolve or adapt, the species does attempt to evolve in a manner that most increases its fitness - so in that regard evolution is acting - acting to increase the fitness of the species. This is done by only the fittest members reproducing and fittest genes being carried on. Sometimes it doesn't work and sometimes it does - but usually it is not for lack of effort.

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could you provide an example for clarification? perhaps we disagree about this point or perhaps you can provide me w/ more information on this subject.

bwana