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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices
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To: tejek who wrote (251866)9/18/2005 8:45:51 PM
From: TigerPaw  Read Replies (1) of 1573958
 
There are two matters here, so I need two answers.

The first is complicated, but very interesting. This is the difference between natural selection and artificial selection that Darwin spent so much of his book on. There is no doubt that artificial selection has led to the various breeds of dogs today. A long time ago there were not many breeds of dogs, just wolves and slightly friendlier wolves (if raised from pups). There were also two categories of people, those who were willing to keep wolf pups around because it made them feel brave or something, and those who knew the only good wolf was a dead wolf.

Eventually those who kept wolf cubs found that they were useful by barking when bears came to the cave and would clean up scraps thereby keeping the roaches in check. Those who detested wolves didn't get warned and were eaten by bears or caught diseases cultured on bits of old meat scraps. The tamer wolves and the dog loving people co-evolved into a team. Now a majority of people tolerate dogs. Once people liked the idea of having dogs around they gave thought to selecting for characteristics.

the two most intelligent species of water mammals are dolphins and whales, and both have shapes and a look most appealing to humans.

This one is a simpler question. Humans didn't have any way to affect the survival rate of dophins and especially whales until the last few centuries at the most. A dophin is much more likely to live or die based on how well he swims from a shark than how he looks to some human gathering shells on the beach.

Coincidence or biological intent?
You would have to consider the shape on an animal by animal basis. Salmon? I never thought a salmon looked scarier than a dolphin, but then I only see them on ice in the store.
TP
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