Weirdly, within the last thirty years, we’ve realised that the truth is not so clear cut. Epigenetic changes do occur as a result of the environment and are hereditary. While genes are still the main drivers of evolution, these epigenetic changes affect gene expression.
Nature doesn’t leave anything on the table if it is remotely possible (billions of years makes a lot possible) and learned experience transmitted to offspring is way too juicy. I would be wholly unsurprised at the existence of a mechanism for writing this to DNA, perhaps enhancing the chance of copy number increase or similar.
I’m with you on this one, I’d like to think that consciousness has something to do with it (for some definition of consciousness). Being able to process one’s surroundings and pass that information on into genes would be an extremely advantageous trait to have. Clearly things are not that simple, but I like to think there’s something to it.
Nature doesn’t leave anything on the table if it is remotely possible (billions of years makes a lot possible) and learned experience transmitted to offspring is way too juicy. I would be wholly unsurprised at the existence of a mechanism for writing this to DNA, perhaps enhancing the chance of copy number increase or similar.
I’m with you on this one, I’d like to think that consciousness has something to do with it (for some definition of consciousness). Being able to process one’s surroundings and pass that information on into genes would be an extremely advantageous trait to have. Clearly things are not that simple, but I like to think there’s something to it.
Butterflies remember being caterpillars somehow.