Philosophy Explorer wrote: ↑Mon Jul 02, 2018 12:11 am
First I think we can agree that if a human (i.e. HS) tried to have sex with a gorilla,
They can have sex, provided the gorilla were willing (
Why would a gorilla accept such a feeble sex partner?? And if the gorilla isn't willing, I really, really don't recommend that you insist.); they just wouldn't have babies, not even sterile ones, like horses and donkeys. What they produce is not a mutant but a hybrid, and most hybrids do not reproduce.
technology as it is today.
Artificial insemination is certainly possible. Still no babies, though. Not close enough genetically.
According to science, it says that mutations can occur.
Mutations occur in all species all the time. Mostly, the difference in the mutated offspring is too small to notice. Sometimes it's fatal and the mutated offspring doesn't make it through gestation, or infancy, or childhood. Sometimes it's just odd or funny-looking; sometimes it's beneficial. It may or may not be transmitted to the next generation.
Even if that were the case doesn't mean that the new mutant can have sex with a member of the established species to create more members of the new species.
If it lives to puberty, it certainly can have sex with a member of its own species. It does not then give rise to a new species; it just makes another generation of the established species, with or without a modified trait.
Furthermore to ensure survival of the new species, how many new mutants must be created?
Just the one - but its mutant trait would have to be 1. extremely adventageous 2. transmittable 3. dominant - and then you'd have to wait 30-100 generations to establish a distinguishable new species.
Another good case are the dogs. When they first came about (was it 10,000 years ago?),
Closer to 100,000.
how did it come about?
The wolves that had traits most compatible with human (sociability, docility, poor hunting skills) hung around human settlements or encampments and mated with one another (because the independent, aggressive ones were not available) and made pups that appealed to the humans, who tamed and adopted them, and when those tame wolves grew up, they mated with other tame wolves.
So I ask why would the people of that time crossbreed the animals to produce the dogs?
They didn't. The wolves bred themselves. Once they had become domesticated enough for people to lord it over, they were bred (with other dogs) for traits that people wanted.
And how would they know how to crossbreed them to produce desirable characteristics such as being friendly?
You take the friendliest male and the friendliest female and, as soon as she comes into heat, lock them in together.
It ain't Stonehenge science!