Tweeting evolution
| 26 August, 2010 | Richard P. Grant |
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It’s been a while since I gave away anything. And a tweet by Catherine Anderson (@GeneGeek) yesterday gave me an idea for a competition.
So, if you’re on Twitter, give us your best shot at explaining evolution in that medium. Use the hashtag #evo140 (and yes, I know that only leaves 133 characters. Extreme). If you’re not on Twitter, have a go in the comments here.
And unlike our other competitions, I’m going to open up voting to you, my loyal readers! (Depending on how many entries we get, I might whittle down to a shortlist.) The lucky winner gets an F1000 Naturally Selected sweatshirt, and I reserve the right to award books to runners up. To get your creative juices flowing, here’s a couple of definitions we’ve already had:
#Evolution: Life’s innate capacity to persist in spite of environmental change
from @conservbytes and
‘Variation in the relative frequencies of alleles over time’ // ‘Genetically driven changes in the forms or function of organisms’
from Tim.
Go for it!
Update: Please also see Catherine’s post explaining the background. Interesting problem!
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#evo140 Process that gives heritable changes in a population over many generations.
[I use “results in … over time”, but the 1st gave on space, and the 2nd on “best”. This is basically Larry Moran’s definition from Sandwalk.
I like the process definition, coming from a physics/engineer viewpoint, compare with gravity: “Gravity is a process that results in an acceleration in a mass caused by another mass.” It kicks up the generality of the thing: evolution isn’t a change or a capacity or a variation but a process, it doesn’t act on individuals as gravity but on populations.]
#evol40 Inferior replications may be superior replicators.
The problem with any short definition of natural evolution is that the basic process is incredibly simple and abstract, but the results have nuances ad infinitum. By limiting yourself to the former you risk excluding important points concerning the latter (e.g the above seems somewhat dismissive of the roles of neutral evolution and purifying selection)
Change or die!
A process of genetic change over time in a population of organisms in response to external conditions to promote population survival.
I think that every one is missing the point. Mankind wants to know there is someone “out there” who cares about what they are doing, hence the twitter or the equlivant of a 21st century prayer. Wheather we want to believe or not we all seek God in one way or another…
I may disqualify myself by posting two definitions, but that’s fine; I’m not in it to win.
#evo140 Nothing succeeds like success.
#evo140 Most offspring die. The living reproduce; their traits survive. Traits that help survival spread. New traits appear; some spread. Time passes; new species.
Ken
banghydrogenstarssupervovaearthchemistrymacromoleculelifecellmetazoanmindlove…….
Evolution, the process by which all living things change generationally through genetic mutation.
#evo140 Survival of the Twittest. It’s between us and the birds; not sure who has the better brain!
#evo140 Random changes; sometimes lucky, usually not. Lucky changes = more offspring = more offspring inherit lucky changes. Time + lucky changes = evolution.
Something for Conservatives to rant about because all of their original ideas died of loneliness.
I found this in a Bird Haiku Sampler by Joseph Kozlowski (http://www.wild-bird-watching.com/bird-haiku.html):
evolution in action
sparrows filching food
from the finch feeder
#evo140 u adapt or u die. Adapters get to genetically mesh. Mesh combinations given chance to adapt. Repeat.
I signed-up for twitter, twitted with the #evo140 and have no idea how my entry will reach this page and be included?
Don’t worry Herb–I have an automatic search running that will collate these and I’ll post them here in the next day or three.
Evolutn is genetic change over time in a populatn that leads to a change in phenotype to permit better adaptatn to the current env
Variety + selection –> species
#evo140 The ability of an organism to adapt to change
#evo140 Life in a world that wants to kill it makes a world that seems made for life.
Mutation proposes, natural selection disposes. [not original by me]
Evolution is an unbelievably belabored attempt to naturalize intelligent design.
My definition for EVOLUTION is:
Random mutations at organism level, environmental decision for the fitness and expansion in the population by successful multiplication
Only 118 characters
Evolution may be defined as biological changes in the body rhythms and systems in an attempt
to survive in a fight against environmental factors. We evolved erection in the morning to coordinate sexual activity,to protect the progeny.We also developed capability for enormous physical activity with increased sympathetic activity, in the morning by going to river banks for hunting, when animals come for drinking of water. Our body systems responed by evolution of clock genes in every cell for regulation of circadian rhythm of increased heart rate, BP, platelet aggregation, coronary artery constriction and oxidative stress in morning between 6.00 to 12.00 hours. We are not able to evolve biologically against this circadian rhythm to die a SCD or heart attack in the morning, but Indians invented yoga and meditation to do it in the morning to evolve mechanisms in our body systems in an attempt to survive because survival of fittest is the evolution.
God divised a way to improve every organism automatically to best without any further intervention.
Genomic epigenomic drift shift creates variation -also adaptive induced by environmental stressors Selection forces act on this variation and drives biological change
Random errors in genetic replication give phenotypic changes whose environmental compatibility determine organism survival: repeat8
Life!
the only constant is change
Genetic mutations, no matter cause, beget ones with an edge providing more offspring than the rest; repetition is evolutionary event
Evolution is a genetic response to external factors
Sorry, I meant: Evolution is a genetic adaptive response to external factors.
#evo140 Gradual accumulation of inherited traits that enhance survival and thus reproduction in response to the ever-changing environment
#evo140 Ah, game of life. Rules change to kill off players. Individuals lose, but SPECIES are in it to win it! Mutating skirts the rules.
Evolution is the only reason we’re here to discuss about it
Sex and time. Paraphrasing Ted Daeschler.