In a message dated 9/1/2005 11:03:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> PS: with all the reproductive isolation we've foisted upon dogs (not > >to mention rats!) Why haven't we created any new species? > > > We have. Dogs _are_ an artificial creation of Humanity They are a consequence of humans not a creation of humans. Dogs have evolved to take advantage of certain aspects of human psychology. They have retained juvenile features (neotony) such as floppy ears round faces and large eyes because humans (and many social creatures) are hard wired to respond favorably to juvenile features.But this was not the consequence of conscious human decisions. Grain crops such as wheat also evolved in response to human preferences. In this way we are not any different from other biologic and ecologic agents that alter the environment and create new opportunities for evolution. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
