Monday, December 1, 2014

My Year of Darwin 12/1/2014 Darwin's biggest problem with natural selection

 Charles Darwin

"But I am bound to confess, that, with all my faith in this principle, I should never have anticipated that natural selection could have been efficient in so high a degree, has not the case of these neuter insects convinced me of the fact. I have, therefore, discussed this case, at some little but wholly insufficient length, in order to show the power of natural selection, and likewise because this is by for the most serious special difficulty, which my theory has encountered."  Charles Darwin, Origin of Species 1st edition (on Kindle)

Sterile insects, particularly the hymenopteran (ants and bees) troubled Darwin and he does some remarkable gymnastics. If he had known the particulate theory of inheritance then he would have no trouble. Sterile insects had improved fitness because sterile sisters are more related to each other and their nieces than they are to brothers. 


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