Question on rate of evolution increase

[Malachy]

I've been reading The Origin of Species lately, and I must admit I am finding it very difficult and often have to go back and read a chapter numerous times until I'm satisfied with my comprehension.

 

Anyway, this week in biology class we watched a film on a species of misquito that actually lives its entire lifespan in only 24 hours. I'm sure most of you have heard of it, but at the moment the exact name has slipped my mind.

 

So my question is - would the organism's rate of evolution actually increase, seeing as how a new generation is created daily?

 

I hope one of you can shed some light on this.

 

Thanks!

[Mokele]

I've been reading The Origin of Species lately, and I must admit I am finding it very difficult and often have to go back and read a chapter numerous times until I'm satisfied with my comprehension.

 

You're a braver man than I. I got about halfway through and stopped. I just couldn't take any more crap about pigeons. Then again, I absolutely *loathe* the Victorian English writing style, so no suprise.

 

You might want to try a book called "Darwin's ghost". The author basically re-wrote the Origin, but using modern data and knowledge, while staying true to the format of Darwin's work. Much more readable and understandable, plus more up-to-date.

 

So my question is - would the organism's rate of evolution actually increase, seeing as how a new generation is created daily?

 

Pretty much, yeah. That's why evolution studies often involve bacteria and fruit-flies, as opposed to tortoises. They go through so many generations so fast that evolutionary change becomes very obvious in time to get a paper out.

 

Mokele

[Ophiolite]

So my question is - would the organism's rate of evolution actually increase' date=' seeing as how a new generation is created daily?

[/quote']

This may seem like nitpicking, but I would argue that in a science forum we should be as precise as circumstances allow. The organism's rate of evolution would not actually increase. The organism's rate of evolution would be much higher, measured against time, than organism's that reproduced much more slowly. The organism's rate of evolution might be much the same, measured against generations, than organism's that reproduced much more slowly.

 

You're a braver man than I. I got about halfway through and stopped. I just couldn't take any more crap about pigeons. Then again, I absolutely *loathe* the Victorian English writing style, so no suprise.

I read Origins in the 1960's. Much closer to Victorian times.

I imagine you have problems with Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica?

[Mokele]

I read Origins in the 1960's. Much closer to Victorian times.

 

Complete with court jesters, known then as 'hippies'.

 

I imagine you have problems with Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica?

 

I actually haven't tried reading it yet, though maybe one day.

 

While the concept of reading original works and examining them for myself in order to have a more thorough grounding in the basis and origins of the concepts I use appeals to me on an abstract, intellectual level, on a more pragmatic level I simply don't have time, and what time I do have can be better spent learning more current information in my field of interest, rather than reviewing information that has already been fact-checked and confirmed thousands of times.

 

Plus it's boring. At least to me, since in Mokele-land, 'not containing info on reptiles' = 'boring'.

 

Mokele

[Malachy]

Interesting, thank you Mokele and Ophiloite.

 

Also thanks for the reccomendation Mokele, I'll check that out sometime.

[Auburngirl05]

Which edition did you try to read? I read the first edition, and actually enjoyed it..(it fascinated me, am I a total nerd now? LOL). My copy had an intro by Richard Dawkins, and he recommended the first edition because later revisions in later editions were partly in response to various critics and some of that overshadows his basic ideas/principles...but I haven't read a later edition, so I can't say if that comparison is true or not, but I thought I'd pass it along.

[ecoli]

I have the origion of species on my bookshelf, waiting to be read, along with Watson's The double helix.