Today's post is the eight in an on-going series of posts on common evolution misconceptions. Most people have likely heard the phrase "survival of the fittest" and then incorrectly make the assumption evolution always promotes the advancement of the fittest and the survival of a species. Although this may be true in many cases, evolution does not always result the survival of the fittest. There are several examples of this in various species. One of the best examples of this is selfish DNA.
Selfish DNA can spread through a genome but provides no positive benefit to the host and can often result in negative benefits to the host. Hemophilia, a blood clotting disorder is caused by selfish DNA. Thus this does not fit the "survival of the fittest" phrase. A great article with far more detail on this is here:
Evolution myths: Evolution promotes the survival of species
One interesting item of note in this article is how selfish individuals can dominate a group and result in the harm of the group. It's happened to all of us. How many times have you been part of a group or collaborative project in which one individual dominates to the detriment of the group? This is not all that different from selfish DNA.
Although "survival of the fittest" plays a large role in evolution, it is not the end all be all.
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