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Originally Posted by PairTheBoard
It sounds like he's saying evolution produces highly specialized species with relatively little genetic diversity. With a broad spectrum of possible future black swan environmental shifts out there, the greater the specialization and lack of genetic diversity the less likely the species can adapt to black swan events - thus the higher the hidden risk versus environmental shifts. I suppose you could argue that a species perfectly specialized to an environmental niche could not handle even the slightest shift in that environment.
Well, you could argue it, but its certainly logically fallacious. For example, any organism perfectly specialized to ALL possible environments would also be perfectly specialized to any particular environment. But it does not follow that he could not handle the slightest shift. Being perfectly specialized for you niche and also supremely adaptable are not mutually exclusive categories.
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Its perfect specialization would make it appear as strong as it could possibly be as far as having adapted to that environment. But it's at that point of ultimate strength it is at highest risk for the slightest change in its environment. Fit as it appears it's really a Turkey for handling evironmental change.
For the reasons mentioned earlier, there is no reason for this to be generally true, even if it is from time to time true in practice.
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I have no idea what the merits of such observations might be. My understanding was that evolution has produced a vast wealth of genetic diversity residing in recessive genes which is a big factor in explaining how species have managed to evolve as quickly has they have at times.
I used to play chess with a science minded friend who would always bring me up short whenever I misspoke and used the phrase "survival of the fittest". He insisted the proper principle is "natural selection" and that it's an important distinction. I believe he was right.
PairTheBoard
Meh, if it leads to confusion, use the better term, but I dont see there being all that much difference.
