The comment above is talking about more than just one-off mutations. Genetic drift and neutral evolution describe a process where entire species or population within a species will change in a random direction for no particular reason. Red hair and green eyes are examples of this in humans.
You are all, talking about the process. Previous poster was rather talking about the result. If a species in its current form is well adapted to a niche and that niche persists, chances are that also that species will change little. That doesn’t mean the Horseshoe Crab was not subject to evolution like every other species.
You’re describing an evolutionarily stable strategy. Functionally and morphologically, horseshoe crabs are very similar to those that evolved in the Ordovician, but genetic drift and neutral evolution are still at play, and extant horseshoe crab species are totally different animals than those from 400 million years ago
I would think it is rather an evolutionary stable state in the case of horseshoe crabs but I am not an expert. Anyhow, I never said that evolution was not at work before or that there was no genetic drift or neutral evolution, quite the opposite.
You’re talking about mutating for no reason, but they’re talking about changing and keeping the change, I believe.
The comment above is talking about more than just one-off mutations. Genetic drift and neutral evolution describe a process where entire species or population within a species will change in a random direction for no particular reason. Red hair and green eyes are examples of this in humans.
You are all, talking about the process. Previous poster was rather talking about the result. If a species in its current form is well adapted to a niche and that niche persists, chances are that also that species will change little. That doesn’t mean the Horseshoe Crab was not subject to evolution like every other species.
You’re describing an evolutionarily stable strategy. Functionally and morphologically, horseshoe crabs are very similar to those that evolved in the Ordovician, but genetic drift and neutral evolution are still at play, and extant horseshoe crab species are totally different animals than those from 400 million years ago
I would think it is rather an evolutionary stable state in the case of horseshoe crabs but I am not an expert. Anyhow, I never said that evolution was not at work before or that there was no genetic drift or neutral evolution, quite the opposite.
Thank you!