Hi Joe and Everyone, >.... adaptations acquired thru enviornment influences will have an affect on future genetics thru selective matings. The fit that have adapted will have the advantage in matings and the un fit will not. Then also there is size related mating prefrences which will have affect on selective matings. This is one of the very basic principles on which small cell regression is based. But, for me, it brings up a very interesting question when turned in the other direction: Before foundation, when the world was composed of all small cell bees, how did a few beekeepers and a little bit of large cell foundation make such a large impact on the worlds bee populations. How did those large cell size bees, which are inferior in mating, disease resistance, production, survival, mite tolerance, etc., almost completely displace the small cell ones? How could natural equilibrium be pushed so far out of bounds that it requires a beekeepers intervention with regression to re-establish it? Regards Dennis Hoping every's bees are well prepared for the coming winter which gives a beekeeper a little more time to think about these kinds of things. -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l for rules, FAQ and other info ---