It would seem the design that can survive the most extinctions would be the clear winner in the end.

  • WarmSoda@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    9 months ago

    There’s isn’t anything doing selecting. A gene mutates and if it stays in the mating cycle enough times to become part of the species as a whole then it’s become “selected”. That includes things that aren’t good for adapting to an environment as well as things that are.

    • Call me Lenny/Leni@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      0
      ·
      9 months ago

      This makes me wonder, why are there no 100% albino species considering albinos can be found in every species and can only produce other albino offspring when paired with other albinos?

          • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            9 months ago

            First, the vast majority of species depend on camouflage at least somewhat, since there are very few species that are neither predator nor prey. Also, albinism prevents your skin from properly protecting you from the sun. So even then, it is selected against. As other have pointed out though, caves don’t have either of these forces at play—the darkness makes visual camouflage irrelevant and there is no UV light. So there, as you predicted, most species are albino.