I'm really interested in Environmental Science, so Darwin makes a lot of sense to me. One of the most interesting things that I've read in Darwin is the arguments he makes about close interbreeding.
"...that close interbreeding diminishes vigour and fertility..." pg 185
This lack of genetic variation is demonstrated in the diminishing cheetah populations. As more cheetahs die out...the remaining cheetahs interbreed with each other. Over and over again...reducing the genetic variation drastically. Without genetic variation, as Darwin states, there is no chance for selection. If a disease were to come upon the cheetahs, there would be no hope. There is no variation in the gene pool. The disease would affect them all without mercy and without any chance for survival for any of the cheetahs.
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