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Roger L. Costello wrote: > Is it true that in Nature the genes already provide the "code" that > would be used in a mutation? That is, if we think of a gene as > "code", then when a mutation occurs that untapped code gets > activated. Is that the way mutations work in Nature? > Don't get too fixated on mutations. Recall that most adaptation occurs by recombination, not mutation. In this regard, I was just reading about a researcher who spent some 40 years breeding foxes with the goal of trying to breed tame foxes from wild progentors. He succeeded pretty well. No mutations were (apparently) involved , but the foxes' appearance and behavior changed quite a bit. As I understand it, genetic algorithm programs with only mutations don't usually do that well - you need to include recombination to be able explore the solution space thoroughly. In real life, it appears that most genetic changes produce adjustments in the activity of certain genes or combinations of genes, or in the timing of their expression. Cheers, Tom P
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