Quote:
Originally posted by Kalkbreath
Not any more so the a "Chow" puppy or "Early corn".
The term domesticated is such a convoluted notion that ,
I'm not sure what science considers a proper domestication?
Clams which have gone through several generations of selected breeding under cultivated conditions are not much different then a domesticated wheat field or a pet Husky dog.
Both of these accepted versions of "domesticated" went through the same selected breeding cycles.
Clams which dont adapt to the domestic life at the farm are removed from the "gene pool".
I fail to see how this is any different from domesticated house dogs or domestic agriculture products?
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I certainly admire your enthusiasm and persistance, but I have to disagree with some points of yours. First and foremost, there is an enormous difference between the example you have given and the captive clams. It is SCALE. The examples (corn, dogs, etc) you have mentioned have been "created" through either genetic or mechanical manipulation or through selection over a long time scale.
Clams have been captive bred for 30+ years only. While that may sound like a long time for some, it is a mere drop in the bucket for adaptive processes to have meaning.
Furthermore, this time scale must also rely on successive generations to be employed. However, how many clam broodstocks are wild caught? Perhaps you would know better than me, but I would guess a portion, if not a majority. I am just guessing on that though. But, if these clams are indeed wild clams, you domestication process has just had the clock reset.
Here are some questions you can hopefully answer for me, so that I can get a better scale of our discussion. How are the clams selected (and culled) in these captive programs? You have said ones which "don't adapt to captive life"- what does this mean? Finally, what differences do you see between the wild clams and your "domestica clams"? How are these differences gauged?