Sure, but wouldn’t a hunter that stayed physically 25 until the age of 45 have a higher inclusive genetic fitness, all else being equal? (edit circa 2022-07-02: Wow, I was dumb. Red Queen hypothesis, baby.)
All else isn’t equal. Transposons replicate. That’s what transposons are about.
The genetic fitness of the hunter doesn’t really matter (that’s basically the insight Dawkins wrote about in the selfish gene). You have to look at the fitness of the transposon and what’s good for the transposon.
If a transposon copies itself into another chromosome it can increase the chance of being inherited to a child from 50% to 100%. That’s highly useful to the fitness of the transposon and worth slightly reduced lifespan of the child.
Both of those forces are at an equilibirum. Transposons copy themselves till the reduced lifespan/health isn’t worth it to double the chance of being inherited.
Sure, but wouldn’t a hunter that stayed physically 25 until the age of 45 have a higher inclusive genetic fitness, all else being equal? (edit circa 2022-07-02: Wow, I was dumb. Red Queen hypothesis, baby.)
All else isn’t equal. Transposons replicate. That’s what transposons are about.
The genetic fitness of the hunter doesn’t really matter (that’s basically the insight Dawkins wrote about in the selfish gene). You have to look at the fitness of the transposon and what’s good for the transposon.
If a transposon copies itself into another chromosome it can increase the chance of being inherited to a child from 50% to 100%. That’s highly useful to the fitness of the transposon and worth slightly reduced lifespan of the child.
Both of those forces are at an equilibirum. Transposons copy themselves till the reduced lifespan/health isn’t worth it to double the chance of being inherited.