Breeding is one thing, evolution another. We can create new plants and animal forms through breeding because these organisms have a certain amount of plasticity. Not all organisms respond to breeding, most do not or would not. Relatively very few species have been domesticated in comparison to the millions out there. Adaptation is essentially an illusion. Like watching a movie, the action appears to flow but it is a series of single shots. So evolution moves from one type to another, giving the appearance that the former adapted and the latter is an adaptation, whereas the former long since died, and the current form is a product of natural selection. It is just as liable to fail as it is to continue, depending on changing conditions. quoted material follows Evolution is an opportunistic process that builds solely on its present state. There is a large chance component in the environmental and biological variation that exists at any time and place. Evolution has been a one-time history. Each individual organism inherits, and must work with, the products of the events that happened in its unique prior history. Selection may mold organisms in a given direction now but does not—and cannot—aim toward anything in the future. Over time, a trait’s evolution can continue in a generally consistent direction because variation that arises is screened by the same factors. This can effectively canalize (channel) evolution in a persistent way There is never any foresight involved, but a steady environment can lead to what appears to be directed evolution. The resulting teleological illusion is what drove Lamarck, the Argument from Design, and numerous other responses to darwinian explanation. However, it can never be stressed enough that, if suitable variation had not arisen under particular circumstances, we would not have observed, for example, flying organisms today. Weiss, K. M., & Buchanan, A. V. (2004). Genetics and the Logic of Evolution. *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html