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From: spaceboy@indirect.com (s p a c e b o y)
Subject: Re: Lamarckian Evolution
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Date: Sat, 4 Feb 1995 12:52:33 GMT
References: <davesag-1701952036170001@sladl1p11.ozemail.com.au> <3fi3gh$abe@laplace.ee.latrobe.edu.au> <1995Jan19.195400.24879@gdunix.gd.chalmers.se> <D382AG.Hnp@lincoln.gpsemi.com> <1995Feb1.204115.22753@gdunix.gd.chalmers.se>
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Claes Andersson (sa209@utb.shv.hb.se) wrote:
: whipp@roborough.gpsemi.com (David Whipp) wrote:
: >In article <1995Jan19.195400.24879@gdunix.gd.chalmers.se, sa209@utb.shv.hb.se (Claes Andersson) writes:
: >OK, I will accept that the term Lamarckian Evolution is being used
: >incorrectly in this thread.  However, that does no alter my opinion
: >that characteristics are inherited through non-Darwinian mechanisms.
: >Learning is an excellent example of such a mechanism. I can think
: >of others that are not dependent on the modification of genes;
: >for example, addiction can be inherited because chemicals are
: >passed in the blood from mother to child (e.g. Kwala bears are
: >addicted to Eucoliptus leaves)

	Some forms of "addiction" (let's ingnore being specific about 
humans) can be seen as adaptations to environment.  When creatures 
adapted to breathing air it wasn't by choice.  WHen a living system is 
exposed to a foreign substance it adapts, copes or dies because of that 
influence.  We do not know upon what time scales these adaptations can 
occur.  It could be the case that once a mother has abused drugs she may 
quit, yet her genetic structure has been altered and conditioned to drugs 
as being part of her environment, therefore offspring are destined to 
contain genetic programming to deal with such an environment.  When the 
child is then exposed to such an environment, these genes produce a 
bodily reaction which is one of addiction.  I believe that every new 
environment which a living thing encounters has the ability to alter its 
genetics.  This would of course mean that since humans regularly operate 
machinery and drive vehicles, program computers, their offspring will be 
even better equipped to do such things.

s p a c e b o y @ i n d i r e c t . c o m

