Originally posted by pcaspianSort of.
Can someone explain to me how mammals (ie: breastfeeders originated ?) Are we talking about some random mutation, which caused a parent to produce nutritious substances, which was passed down to the children and so .. breastfeeding ?
cheers
As DNA divides and rejoins small differences occur. Most of them are tossed out and fail. Some of these differences are an improvement for that "creature" at that moment in time. They stay.
So, the changes are random, but what stays depends on the enviroment. (that's what probably dictates what an improvement is).
Most mammals share more than 70% the same DNA.
Originally posted by shavixmir
Sort of.
As DNA divides and rejoins small differences occur. Most of them are tossed out and fail. Some of these differences are an improvement for that "creature" at that moment in time. They stay.
So, the changes are random, but what stays depends on the enviroment. (that's what probably dictates what an improvement is).
Most mammals share more than 70% the same DNA.
No offense, but the generic answer means little to me. Want to know from someone that specifically has thought about this, or finds it puzzling.
To give you an idea. The big question so far has been what benefit milk would provide over eg: mouth feeding as in birds.
I am trying to ascertain the plausibility of a mammal creature suddenly starting to lactate and develop nipples.
cheers
Originally posted by pcaspianIt seems to have evolved after proto-mammals developed sweat glands, since that's what a mammary gland most resembles biologically. The first mammals could have had patches of skin which sweated nutrients, and these patches later developed into specialised organs.
No offense, but the generic answer means little to me. Want to know from someone that specifically has thought about this, or finds it puzzling.
To give you an idea. The big question so far has been what benefit milk would provide over eg: mouth feeding as in birds.
I am trying to ascertain the plausibility of a mammal creature suddenly starting to lactate and develop nipples.
cheers
The big benefit of milk vs food is that the milk can be produced on demand from the mother's relatively large reserves, while food (incl. all the necessary nutrients) has to be obtained there and then. So an animal like a big cat simply wouldn't work without mammaries, because the newborn cubs would inevitably have to go hungry for days at a time, something which would seriously slow their growth.
Originally posted by AcolyteWell I think milk is easier to digest.When the baby is born the milk is less complex and gradually increases in complexity.This makes the baby digest most of it in contrast to food brought elsewhere.So the species which mutated to milk could grow faster and stronger than others so this species produces more and more offsprings and the other members of the species get slowly replaced.Thus a jump in evolution.
It seems to have evolved after proto-mammals developed sweat glands, since that's what a mammary gland most resembles biologically. The first mammals could have had patches of skin which sweated nutrients, and these patches later developed into specialised organs.
The big benefit of milk vs food is that the milk can be produced on demand from the mother ...[text shortened]... vitably have to go hungry for days at a time, something which would seriously slow their growth.
Among the milk producing mutuates some could produce milk whose complexity increases slowly while the other could produce milk at a constant level of complexity.No guesses as to which will survive better.
Well just guessing.
Originally posted by druidravi
Among the milk producing mutuates some could produce milk whose complexity increases slowly while the other could produce milk at a constant level of complexity.No guesses as to which will survive better.
Well just guessing.
How could we account for both man and female species having nipples ? I would assume that a mutation would have had to occur prior to male and female proto-mammals evolving nipples, otherwise it would seem odd that male mammals mirror nipples in female mammals. That would suggest that at some point both male and female mammals produced milk, yet for some reason nipples in every male mammal ceased to serve a purpose.
How could we account for both man and female species having nipples ? I would assume that a mutation would have had to occur prior to male and female proto-mammals evolving nipples, otherwise it would seem odd that male mammals mirror nipples in female mammals. That would suggest that at some point both male and female mammals produced milk, yet for some reason nipples in every male mammal ceased to serve a purpose.Men have nipples because the basic blueprint for a person is default set to female. This default is changed to male after the initial building of the body has begun. Hence nipples in males. Probably.
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Originally posted by pcaspianThe difference in the dna makeup between man and woman is very little.So I suppose when the female mutuate developed breasts it was passed onto male offspring too.But since only a female body bears children thus knowing when to produce milk breasts were developed in females and remained non-functional in male.
How could we account for both man and female species having nipples ? I would assume that a mutation would have had to occur prior to male and female proto-mammals evolving nipples, otherwise it would seem odd that male mammals mirror nipples in female mammals. That would suggest that at some point both male and female mammals produced milk, yet for some reason nipples in every male mammal ceased to serve a purpose.
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Originally posted by ivangriceSounds about right - one of the main functions of the Y chromosome is to prevent the development of female characteristics (something that sometimes goes wrong, resulting in XY embryos growing into females or hermaphrodites). Interestingly, in birds it is the females who have special genes: males are ZZ and females are ZW.
Men have nipples because the basic blueprint for a person is default set to female. This default is changed to male after the initial building of the body has begun. Hence nipples in males. Probably.
Originally posted by pcaspianI don't know how mammals evolved, so that means god must have done it.
Can someone explain to me how mammals (ie: breastfeeders originated ?) Are we talking about some random mutation, which caused a parent to produce nutritious substances, which was passed down to the children and so .. breastfeeding ?
cheers
Isn't that how it works? If we can't explain something, we just say "god did it" and that saves us a lot of really hard work?
Originally posted by rwingett<Acolyte tuts> Comments like this give the Wolfpack a bad name. 😉
I don't know how mammals evolved, so that means god must have done it.
Isn't that how it works? If we can't explain something, we just say "god did it" and that saves us a lot of really hard work?
Originally posted by rwingett
I don't know how mammals evolved, so that means god must have done it.
Isn't that how it works? If we can't explain something, we just say "god did it" and that saves us a lot of really hard work?
Merely a question Rwing. If we don't ask questing, we don't learn 🙂