Re: OT - Polygamist birth defects

Michael Snyder wrote:

"catherine yronwode" <cat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:43EE5F25.B6BBB2B7@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wrong. If one stud (or dam, should yu wish to conduct the experiemnt
that way) sires (or gets) a disproportionate percentage of those allowed
to breed in the next generation, then any recessive he (or she) carries
is multiplied in the population. This is basic Mendelian genetis, folks.

Your argument is based on the *premise* that the one stud (or dam)
has such a recessive trait. Since there is no greater likelyhood of
any one male having the trait than any other, polygamy is as likely
to spread good genes as bad.

Yes, but the "bad" genes are LETHAL and thus limit population growth.

Indeed since the male who wins his
way to the top of the heap is more likely to have *good* genes,
polygamy is more likely to improve the gene pool than to damage
it.

False premise: the male who has the right of polygamy in a human society
of this sort need not "win" anything to have that right, and most likely
merely inherited his rank or caste privilege through an ancestor.

And as for genetic diversity, the gene pool will get plenty of
that from the female line. That's why polygamy works (which you
cannot deny) in so many animal species.

No, Michael, that is NOT "why polygamy works [...] in so many animal
species." I already explained this to you, but you deleted it and did
not respond to it. Here is is again:

REPOST:
Birth defects caused by lethal recessives are one of a number of
natural checks on population growth and they occur ALL THE TIME in wild
populatons. Humans do not wish to endure that kind of emotional or
social loss. They want to ensure the survival of all birthed babies.
Other species don't care about this or if they do care, they don't have
the intelligence to plan a way out of the situation.
END PEPOST

What "works" in nature is population stability, not endless population
growth.

Lethal recessive mutations multiply faster through polygamy than through
monogamy. These lethal mutations are among a number of natural checks on
the growth of some (i.e. polygamous) species. Other species have other
sorts of checks on growth (e.g. small litter size, restricted food
sources, narrow temperature range, etc.).

Again, please understand Mendelian genetics. You are triping up on
simple biology here.

cat yronwode.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: OT - Polygamist birth defects
    ... Polygamy of this sort -- one male breeds many females ... The reason these recessives are rare is not that inbreeding is forbidden ... an institutional scale such as humans might institute. ... This is the normal lifestyle for many many species, ...
    (alt.true-crime)
  • Re: Evolution and Love
    ... The choice of polygamy vs monogamy in species may be based on group ... Polygamy as an evolutionary strategy has the advantage that it allows ... individuals to spread their genes in a large number of offspring. ... Monogamy is not a universal trait though, it exists in species where it ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)
  • Re: OT - Polygamist birth defects
    ... any one male having the trait than any other, polygamy is as likely ... but the "bad" genes are LETHAL and thus limit population growth. ... Birth defects caused by lethal recessives are one of a number of ...
    (alt.true-crime)
  • Re: Evolution and Love
    ... > The choice of polygamy vs monogamy in species may be based ... initiating romantic attraction between people. ...
    (sci.bio.evolution)