Darwin-L Message Log 8:89 (April 1994)

Academic Discussion on the History and Theory of the Historical Sciences

This is one message from the Archives of Darwin-L (1993–1997), a professional discussion group on the history and theory of the historical sciences.

Note: Additional publications on evolution and the historical sciences by the Darwin-L list owner are available on SSRN.

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<8:89>From sarich@qal.berkeley.edu  Tue Apr 26 12:16:56 1994

From: Prof Vince Sarich <sarich@qal.Berkeley.EDU>
Date: Tue, 26 Apr 1994 10:12:15 -0700
To: darwin-l@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
Subject: Vitamin C and "need"

Although I sympathize with the comment of "sturkel", there is a very large
difference between developing a feature because you "need" it and losing
one because you don't. The former doesn't happen; the latter must be going
on all the time.  Given that mutations are inevitable, and it can take only
one to knock out a function, then a function such as vitamin C production,
where vitamin C is readily available in the diet of a frugivore, is going
to be readily lost in those frugivores.

Vincent sarich

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