purposeful evolution

N

Norvu

Registered Member
Is it possible that an organism is able to evolve with purpose, as in, intelligently evolve? If there is a change in the environment or a new predator would an organism ever be able to evolve to the point where they can manipulate their offspring (or even their own bodies) in a way that would aid them or nullify the new predators advantage.

I'm curious about this, it wouldn't have to be intelligent or scientific, but actually instinctual and purposeful evolution.

I've had a few problems with this so far. One main problem is that if the species evolves too rapidly it can quickly find itself without genetic compatible mates, or there would be such wide speciation they would either be the only animal on the planet or, most probably, every animal that would exist would descend from the same branch.

Give me your thoughts. I predict this will be viewed as entirely impossible, but my curiosity has made me wonder.
 
Norvu said:
Is it possible that an organism is able to evolve with purpose, as in, intelligently evolve? If there is a change in the environment or a new predator would an organism ever be able to evolve to the point where they can manipulate their offspring (or even their own bodies) in a way that would aid them or nullify the new predators advantage.

I'm curious about this, it wouldn't have to be intelligent or scientific, but actually instinctual and purposeful evolution.

I've had a few problems with this so far. One main problem is that if the species evolves too rapidly it can quickly find itself without genetic compatible mates, or there would be such wide speciation they would either be the only animal on the planet or, most probably, every animal that would exist would descend from the same branch.

Give me your thoughts. I predict this will be viewed as entirely impossible, but my curiosity has made me wonder.
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Your latter statement is correct. It's not possible ;)
Evolution is not purposeful (ignore Draqon on anything he says about evolution).

What happens in your example is that, over time, preexisting traits within the population (that previously did not have any particular advantage) increase in frequency because of natural selection.
 
Evolution with intelligence is larmarckian evolution, although not observed in a nature both civilization and technology both follow more closely to larmarckian evolution then Darwinian.
 
Saying: "Evolution is always purposeful", is actually a truism. If Darwin is to be believed, the immediate purpose is speciation - this involves the survival of predecessor species.

You're forgetting (as usual) that the word "purpose", also means: "use, adaptation, means by which", etc.
 
This is known as the evolution of evolvability. Some living things are able to evolve better than others (such as those that have sex). One could argue that the evolution of intelligence is an aspect of this, since we can manipulate our own genome.
 
Although atrocious and irrational, Hitler tried to modify the Human genome by eradicating the jews. Also, the American government tried to 'cure' neuropsychological diseases by neutering those inflicted during the eugenics experiments. Premature babies are treated for 'wet lungs' by inserting necessary genes into their systems via transduction. In all cases the object was to change the human genome by preventing, propagating, or purging certain traits. Is this purposeful evolution?
 
Norvu said:
Is it possible that an organism is able to evolve with purpose, as in, intelligently evolve? If there is a change in the environment or a new predator would an organism ever be able to evolve to the point where they can manipulate their offspring (or even their own bodies) in a way that would aid them or nullify the new predators advantage.
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Yes, it's possible. It's called genetic engineering. Humans could do it if they really wanted to.

But I know that's not what you are asking.
I'm curious about this, it wouldn't have to be intelligent or scientific, but actually instinctual and purposeful evolution.
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I think you are confusing a few concepts here. The only thing that can be "instinctual" is behavior. All hard-wired behavior is by definition instinctual. But nothing an animal can do could direct its own evolution. The closest thing I can imagine would be an instinct to seek out sources of radiation or some mutagenic food source, when stress from predation is particularly high. But I never heard of such thing actually happening.
 
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