Subject: Re: Acronyms
Date: Jun 26 15:33:50 1995
From: Don Baccus - donb at Rational.COM


>Convergent Evolution? Does this indicate that we are related species
>according to the various genetic thoeries?

Is there reproductive isolation between members of OBOL and tweeters?
Does the membership represent two gene pools, upon which evolution
acts independently?

It's an interesting question, made somewhat more difficult by
the fact that some individuals apparently belong to both
species, something which is rarely seen in ornithology. Indeed,
I've only seen it once, on a fund-raising birdathon, where one duck
ended up on an (unamed!) individual's list as both a greater scaup
(flying away) and a lesser scaup (on the return). Apparently
the crafty creature exchanged primaries while at the terminal
distance.

This bird has been known forever after by the leader (that would
be me) as the "bi-speciated duck". A unique find in nature unless
you can substantiate that OBOLers and tweeters do belong to
separate species.

If they do, did tolerance for humorous or off-topic posts arise
before or after the two populations split (assuming we share
common ancestry)? Occam's razor suggests that this tolerance
arose within tweeters after the split. It is possible, though, that
such tolerance was originally present in members of OBOL but has
been selected against due to differences in the birding environment
in Oregon. It is unclear whether OBOL has existed long enough
for selective pressure against tolerance to have caused the attribute
to entirely disappear, as I believe it has.

Put me in the camp that believes OBOLers didn't lose their
sense of humor, but never had one.

It is also true that the genes which give rise to the trait of
tolerance are either recessive, or have become present only
somewhat recently, as the trait is not expressed in all individuals
within tweeters. It is unclear had widespread the trait is,
perhaps we need some scientific research into the question.


- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>