From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@www.aeiveos.com)
Date: Thu Dec 02 1999 - 02:20:27 MST
On Wed, 1 Dec 1999, Harvey Newstrom wrote:
>
> Any biologist will tell you that homosexuality is found in all species of
> mammal higher than a cat. Maybe all these species are acting "unnaturally"
> according to your definition, but I would suggest you find a different term.
I will agree that "unnatural" is a poor term due to its lack of specificity.
While homosexuality may be a natural behavior (from an observed reality
standpoint), it is decidedly "unnatural" from the perspective of the
agenda of the genes involved.
However genes in combination work in mysterious ways. For example you
have gene imprinting wars regulating, I believe, IGF-2 (insulin like
growth factor-2) where the male side wants large fetuses and
the female side wants small fetuses), and the genes involved in altering
sperm motility (Nature Nov. 11, 1999 & Science 286:1269 (12 Nov 1999)),
where it takes a combination of genes for fast sperm and slow sperm
(both "distorter" and "responder" proteins) to get "normal" sperm.
These are probably just the tip of the iceberg for "wierd" gene
combinations in nature. When I speak of "natural", I mean combinations
of genes that will "promote" the reproduction of those genes. Anything
else is self-defeating (from the gene's perspective).
Robert
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