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| The limits of evolution?; super-fast evolution | |
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| Topic Started: Apr 15 2009, 10:13 AM (1,408 Views) | |
| Toad of Spades | Apr 15 2009, 10:13 AM Post #1 |
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Clorothod
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Is it possible for organisms similar to earth life to exist that evolve at breakneck speed to exist (200 million years worth of evolution in a few days). What would be required? Is that even possible? |
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Sorry Link, I don't give credit. Come back when you're a little...MMMMMM...Richer. Bread is an animal and humans are %90 aluminum. | |
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| Cynovolans | Apr 15 2009, 10:27 AM Post #2 |
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Servant to Empress Min
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I don't think there is an possible way to turn 200 million years of evolution in just a few days. Or at least just not natural evolution. |
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I wish I could give the public a true picture of the queen as she appeared at her best, but this would be impossible, even had she permitted a photograph to be taken, for her charming play of expression while in conversation, the character and intellect which were then revealed, were only half seen when the face was in repose. -Lilias Underwood when speaking of Empress Myeongseong "I was born in the dark. I went out into the light, and your Majesty, it is my displeasure to inform you that I have returned to the dark. I envision a Seoul of towering buildings filled with Western establishments that will place herself back above the Japanese barbarians. Great things lie ahead for the Kingdom, great things. We must take action, your Majesty, without hesitation, to further modernize this still ancient kingdom."-Min Young-ik to Empress Myeongseong | |
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| Xenophile | Apr 15 2009, 03:07 PM Post #3 |
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Formerly known as alienboy.
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The only way for 200 million years of evolution to happen in a few days is with genetic engineering. |
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| SIngemeister | Apr 15 2009, 03:28 PM Post #4 |
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Hive Tyrant of the Essee Swarm
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Or very long days and very short years. |
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My Deviantart RRRAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!!!!! | |
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| lamna | Apr 15 2009, 04:05 PM Post #5 |
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Without someone or something intervening? No. |
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Living Fossils Fósseis Vibos: Reserva Natural 34 MYH, 4 tonne dinosaur. [flash=500,450] Video Magic! [/flash] | |
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| Genesis | Apr 15 2009, 06:50 PM Post #6 |
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Newborn
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To our knowledge, no. However, we exist on a tiny rock that we still know very little about. To get a better understanding of exotic environments and situations, you would have to find alien scientists in an interstelllar community (which is in fact more than likely to exist in quantity in our galaxy). It may be possible that being at just the right distance from a black hole (Far enough away to remain stable in some form, yet close enough to be affected by the temporal shift.), such as near the center of the galaxy, could accelerate time in a large pocket of space enough to make the timeline of a planet advance far beyond the rest of the Galaxy. Of course, I understand that both of these idea are full of holes, but the short answer would have to be: we can have no way of understanding the limits of evolution. Not really. |
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| Giant Blue Anteater | Apr 15 2009, 07:25 PM Post #7 |
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Prime Specimen
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The speed of which things evolve really depends on how fast and often the organism reproduces. Bacteria for example evolve quickly because they reproduce fast and often. However, an animal like a blue whale wouldn't evolve as fast because it (presumably) only gives birth to one baby at a time, and reproduces every winter rather than every minute as in bacteria. So, while things like a nuclear bomb can speed up mutational rates (I could be wrong), I really don't see 200 million years of evolution completed in just a few days naturally as feasible Edited by Giant Blue Anteater, Apr 15 2009, 07:27 PM.
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Ichthyostega![]()
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| Viergacht | Apr 15 2009, 07:32 PM Post #8 |
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faceless fiend
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Actually something very like this was the premise for Robert Forward's book "Dragon's Egg". The aliens lived on a neutron star and use nuclear instead of electrical or chemical reactions in their biology, so they live a million times faster than us. |
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| Giant Blue Anteater | Apr 15 2009, 08:11 PM Post #9 |
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Prime Specimen
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I read the exact same concept in the book "Extraterrestrials: A Field Guide for Earthlings". To me, it is quite a far-fetched concept for hyper-fast, energy-based life to exist on a neutron star, although I am not dismissing it as impossible. |
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| Viergacht | Apr 15 2009, 11:36 PM Post #10 |
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faceless fiend
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I don't know enough physics to say either way, but Forward was a physicist and he created a very believable setting. It's a terrific book, btw, I recommend it. |
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| Rodge the Linkbot | Apr 17 2009, 04:18 PM Post #11 |
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Infant
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I think it depends on the size and complexity of the life form to begin with. Multi-cellular life that resembles us? Don't hold your breathe. Something similar to bacteria? I'd beleive it. With the rate they've evolved in the past few decades, and the discovery of viruses rewriting hosts DNA in nature in a permanent way, sure. |
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| ATEK Azul | Apr 17 2009, 05:16 PM Post #12 |
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Transhuman
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well i see linkbots point while i also get the other points but as for hyper evolution probably not or at least not that fast any way. |
| I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's! | |
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| ashwinder | Apr 17 2009, 07:32 PM Post #13 |
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Adolescent
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Energy-beings and black-holes aside the speed that an organism would have to reproduce to evolve at such a rate would have to be impossible fast. Also even if you were to increase the rate of mutation instead of the rate of reproduction it wouldn't speed up evolution as a high mutation rate would probably just result in a fast extinction due to deleterious mutations. |
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| ATEK Azul | Apr 17 2009, 07:36 PM Post #14 |
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Transhuman
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i agree with that. but i do think surtain curcumstances can make evolution a little faster than we normaly think just like with artificial selection. |
| I am dyslexic, please ignore the typo's! | |
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| Empyreon | May 26 2009, 01:18 PM Post #15 |
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Are you plausible?
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The question I have at this point, then, is how fast do you think complex, multi-cellular organisms can evolve? |
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Take a look at my exobiology subforum of the planet Nereus! COM Contributions food for thought
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