Re: [dinosaur] Theropod and bird lifestyles from ungual bone curvatures (free pdf)

[Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au>]

On Fri, Feb 7th, 2020 at 3:11 AM, David Marjanovic <david.marjanovic@gmx.at> 
wrote:

> On the other hand, if the differences between left and right sides of the
> same individual are real, they're telling us claw curvature simply isn't 100%
> genetically determined. What's not genetically determined isn't heritable and
> isn't accessible to natural selection.

That final sentence isn't strictly the case. Epigenetic studies have muddied 
the waters of heritability in 
recent decades. 

Learned behaviour (i.e. 'culture') can also be passed down to offspring, or 
indeed to any group member 
regardless of genetic affinities.

Also, a genetic predisposition towards phenotypic plasticity might be 
positively selected for in complex or 
highly changeable environments.

-- 
Dann Pigdon