Re: Who Starts Evolution?

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

David Marjanovic writes: 

> > I imagine this is similar for other species where ovae aren't continually
> > produced in females, and where the males have long reproductive 
> > 'careers'.
>
> Which is a very rare combination, isn't it? 

Elephants come to mind. 

I imagine that most reptiles continually produce new ovae, given the number 
of eggs many species can lay at any one sitting. I can't imagine marine 
turtles lugging around a lifetime supply of ovae all at once. 

Most small mammals don't tend to live long enough for accumulated 
replication errors to be such an issue though - pitty the poor male 
Antechinus that is lucky to live for a year (they spend so much time 
fighting other males and courting females they literally wear themselves 
out). 

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Dann Pigdon
GIS / Archaeologist              http://geo_cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
Melbourne, Australia             http://heretichides.soffiles.com
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