Re: Genetic diversity

Michael.Chamberland (23274MJC@MSU.EDU)
Thu, 12 Dec 96 08:36 EST

> From: dave evans <T442119@rutadmin.rutgers.edu>
>
> No, I'm serious.
>
> > The plants that die contain part of the gene variation. Those that
> > survive represent a subset of the original diversity, so genetic
> > diversity is lost. What has occurred is a selection for plants
> > that do well in cultivation. Offspring get traded around between
> > collectors and the end result is strong selection for whatever is
> > similar in cultivation practices. An easy-to-grow cultivar is
> > the product of the selection.
>
> Yes, I see where you're taking this. But this will only be true
> for plants which are large and so don't get any sexual reproduction.

Sexual reproduction can occur in both small and large plants.

> Like Nepenthes. Anyway, there's a way around that too... Just
> mail someone pollen, if you can (Andrew, I sent the pollen to you).
> Truely, I think you're underestimating genetic diversity. What I
> mean to say is each person will manage to keep their easily grown
> plants for their own selective conditions thereby *increasing*
> the overall genetic diversity. In this way, so long as sexual
> reproduction is kept fairly common, my plants will be more different
> than your plants, while plants growing wild near each other will be

And what if you exchange pollen with me? Doesn't that contradict this
genetic isolation between growers?

> more similar, overall. That's an increase in diversity, right?
> Keep in mind that evolution doesn't just happen, something must
> start killing off what would normally be a viable (and valuable) trait
> to make room for what is new.

Dave, where does genetic diversity (genetic variation) originate?
It comes from mutations, which occur at a very slow rate in nature.
Sexual reproduction will shuffle the alleles for each gene but will
not create new alleles. I think you are overestimating the number of
sexually reproducing generations occurring under the care of a single
grower. Most growers change their growing conditions from time to
time, too. Trade and new purchases counter isolation.

I hope someone can step in an post some basic genetics so we can
start this discussion on a sound footing. I'm spending too
much time posting here! Where are the other "scientists"? :-)

Michael Chamberland