Evolutionary Stable Strategy

In the Selfish Gene, Dawkins describes the concept of the evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) as a strategy that depends on the actions of the majority of individuals in a given population in an attempt to maximize their own success. As the strategy continues, it evolves and it cannot be bettered by an altering strategy, “selection will penalize deviation from it.” (Dawkins, 69) Fisher applied this concept to sex ratios, arguing that an equal sex ratio (50:50) is an ESS. We can imagine a scenario in which males could bias sperm production or females bias the rate of fertilization as to favor the generation of one. Both Dawkins and Fisher counter such scenario by stating that following an environmental change or instability, an ESS will be achieved again. I believe that sex chromosomes favor an equal sex ratio as an ESS. Fisher supported this by explaining what the outcome would be if a specific gender persisted, reproduction would decrease and the opposite gender will bias its generation, thus equalizing the ratio. One could think that cytoplasmic elements are an ESS, however this cannot be true because all elements are not used equally and tend to favor one sex over the other.

The Origin of Life

It has been 150 years since Darwin introduced the world to his theory of evolution jumpstarting the ongoing debate, which gave rise to a vast number of theories with regard to the origin of life.

Richard Dawkins became part of this debate by first arguing that “the earliest form of natural selection was simply a selection of stable forms and a rejection of unstable ones.” He then followed his argument by discussing the development of the “primordial soup” from the interactions of raw materials and lightning present on early earth. This primordial soup consisted of organic molecules which developed into more complex molecules with the ability to replicate themselves; the “replicators.” As these molecules grew bigger, competition between replicators increased and those who were more stable transitioned into “survival machines” which then evolved into complex organisms.

Peter Mayhew also became a part of the debate arguing, from an autotrophic stand-point, that early life required a certain level of biochemistry which organic molecules could not have achieved due to their inability to transport large molecules because of impermeable membranes as well as their inability to obtain energy from inorganic elements present on early earth.

Karl Popper, a philosopher of science, believed that we can never be certain of the truth of a theory because there is always the possibility that it can be overthrown. This is a belief that I follow, thus it should come as no surprise when I remain neutral between Dawkins’ and Mayhew’s theories. I believe that both of them have some valid points, but as none of us were present during the climax of the origin of life, there will always be a possibility that their theory can be overthrown.

Domestication in the view of Darwanism and the Selfish Gene

“It has been loosely said that all our races of dogs have been produced by the crossing of a few aboriginal species.” Although Darwin saw probable that our domestic dogs have descended from several wild species, he believed that in order for the above statement to be correct, we would have to consider the existence of the most “extreme forms” living in the wild. Darwin pointed out that in many cases we did not know what the aboriginal stock was, thus it would be unlikely for domestic varieties to live in a wild state. Moreover, Darwin asserts that domesticated races undergo adaptation, not necessarily for the organisms own interest but for the better good to man. Dawkins, to some extent, shares the same believe towards adaptation through a process that he called “survival of the stable.” Dawkins indicated that natural selection was nothing more than adaptation between stable components vs. unstable components. If we consider Mendelian genetics, the segregation of alleles and the possibility of random mutations, along with the effects that an environment or specific conditions have on organisms we can see more clearly how to evolution takes place.