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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Richard Cryberg <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 19 Mar 2017 18:58:57 +0000
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"There is more opportunity for mutations to occur in a large organism which has more cells (and therefore more genome copies), takes more cell generations to produce gametes, and must maintain its body through a prolonged period of immaturity and long reproductive lifespan."

Yes, but a higher gross mutation count does not really say much about the rate of evolution.  The vast majority of mutations happen in cells not involved in egg or sperm formation long after the cells have differentiated into organs and such mutations are not passed to offspring.  This is true of any multi cell critter that has reproductive organs.  So, compare a human female to a queen bee from the reproductive organ standpoint.  The bee produces vastly more eggs over her life than the human so the number of her offspring that get a mutation is higher than for a human given the same mutation rate in the reproductive organs.  Of course most off spring are workers so a mutation in one of them is useless no matter how valuable long term.  Really only the number of drones or queens she produces count.  But, she produces a lot more drones per unit of time than humans produce children.  On average she even produces way more queens per unit of time than humans produce children.

Bottom line is a human may experience far more total mutations over the course of life than a queen bee, but the bee will still evolve faster because hers have a better chance of getting propagated.

Dick

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