Basics of Evolution (Evolution)

by dhw, Saturday, January 02, 2016, 18:02 (3029 days ago) @ David Turell

Romansh: What we need for evolution ...
•	A system that replicates.
•	Variation within the replication.
•	An environment that selects (at least slightly) for a particular replication.
If we have this as our basis, then to get a complex system we need a long time and perhaps a variety of environments.-DAVID: But first you have to have a system that replicates with almost perfect accuracy, and so far it is not described, and how it is formed is not understood. Yet it happened.-For evolution to take place, it's the variations that are essential. Otherwise the process will stick at replication. I would have thought the variety of environments was also essential, since a single uniform environment would limit potential ways of life, and hence the potential variety of species. I'm not sure where this is heading!-Romansh, I'll reply to your “Random” post tomorrow.