Re: Weak Vampires?

On Mar 19, 4:25=A0pm, Par <use...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Robert Carnegie <rja.carne...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>:
>
> > =A0Conceivably with deliberate intervention. =A0Say there's been a
cult
> > =A0that drinks human blood for a /very/ long time, they become
dependent=

> > =A0on it - just like actually we (I think all mammals?) have a gene to
> > =A0produce vitamin C, but it's /broken/, so we need vitamin C in our
> > =A0diet. =A0This arose because we /had/ vitamin C in our diet.
>
> Slight correction; it could arise because we had sufficient vitamin C in
> "our" (it is the higher primates, IIRC) diet. Random mutation, not a
> problem, linked to other usefull traits/founder effect/bottleneck
> effect, and Bobs yer UNCLE.

Yes...  but I think with sufficient time, losing a gene that isn't
"beneficial" is /inevitable/.  As I understand, we have a
"pseudogene", wrecked to the point of not doing anything, but
recognisable as a version of the gene that other critters have, that
makes vitamin C.

I suppose the next thing to do is to look for fish living their entire
lives in dark caves that so far /haven't/ lost their eyes (or had
eyelids grown shut, etc.)