Comment on Something's Wrong

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 18:26:18 GMT

Do you maintain that the perceived maladaptivity of human appendix is also probably an illusion created by our insufficient knowledge of bowel engineering?

I agree with your basic point, but this might not have been the best example. We're now fairly sure that the appendix is useful for providing a reservoir that keeps friendly gut bacteria around even when diarrhea flushes out the rest of the GI tract.

Overall, probably now maladaptive for the average first world citizen. For the average third world citizen, or in the environment of evolutionary adaptation, that's less clear.

Discuss