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Survival of the Fittest Golfer

Barry Arrington
March 30, 2006
Intelligent Design
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This just in. My morning paper reports that LPGA pro Natalie Gulbis has an extra vertebra in her back that enables her to bring her club so far around she has her back to the target. The random mutation that led to Ms. Galbis’ extra vertebra apparently confers a golfing advantage on her, which in turn allows her to make millions of dollars whacking a little white ball around a park. Her golfing wealth makes her more attractive to prospective mates, which makes it more likely that she will pass on her DNA containing the “extra vertebra” trait. Maybe there’s something to NS after all.

Comments
I don't know. Doesn't this report give teeth to an assertion of Dawkin's, where the extra vertebrae in some snakes is explainable as a random mutation, since it's merely more of what's already there? jaredl

"Out of curiosity, I just now googled Ms. Gulbis"

I hate golf. Please don't tell me this is what I've been missing all these years.

When watching the paint dry becomes too exciting I switch on golf to calm down. That has never happened yet, so I'm afraid I can't answer your question. -- BA DaveScot
I never doubted it. nostrowski
Oh make no mistake, I'm a right svelte hunk. No matter how many nipples I have. Scott
Scott: Show me a perfect body and I'll show you an airbrush artist. nostrowski
If some of her golfing success can be credited to an additional vertebrae, then I wonder if I can get some assistance on my handicap (golfing) for my handicap (physical). My L4 is flat out gone and L3 is a mite malformed and fused with number 2. My sister is packing an extra rib. Mother had a vestigial tail removed at birth. Paternal grandmother was doublejointed to the point that she was a solo circus act. Did some googling trying to find rates of occurence for these little odditities and came across many more bits that humans have extra or missing. Somehow reassuring that my family's genetic quirks seem to be well within the normal human range of oddity. Although I would make the case that only doublejointed makes for an attraction advantage. Twist
The nipple serves no functional purpose and is hardly noticable. It's more like a little dimple. Disconcerting none the less. My youngest son has been blessed with this "trait" as well. Scott

After a fleeting glance, a perfunctory scan, a clinical once-over, (a nano-glimpse truly) of her FHM collection, I detect that Natalie Gulbis requires no extra spinal structure whatsoever to dominate the gene pool. Indeed, with this vertebra advantage she could be convicted of piling on!

Alas, the triple nipple contingent has been routed.

LOL --BA

nostrowski

3rd nipple? Sounds like something from a Bond movie.

Playing golf is much more than hitting a little white ball with a crooked stick. I can hit a golf ball as far as anybody- this year hopefully farther- but I don't play golf. So although she may have a physical advantage that may help her hit a ball farther than other women, distance is only a small part of the sport.

Lance Armstrong has a larger heart than "normal" humans. However without his training and dedication that genetic advantage may never have been useful.

We should check to see if there are "smooth talker" genes. Genes that apparent losers get that enables them to procreate in a manner becoming rabbits...

Out of curiosity, I just now googled Ms. Gulbis, about whom I had never heard prior to this morning. The first thing that comes up is a photo spread she did for “FHM” magazine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Now that you are back from looking at that, I think the real question is whether we should search for a gene that predisposes one to take off most of her clothes and pose for a national men’s magazine. That certainly would confer a selection advantage. -- BA

Joseph
Perfect. I was advocating fully operational componentry, but I'd wager there'd be those who'd settle for whistles and bells! nostrowski
tucker Is that third nipple plumbed up to anything or is it just ornamental? DaveScot
LOL! Scott
Disdain? Disdain?!?! Apply Scott's "advantage" to the opposite gender (assuming full functionality) and multiple births are facilitated - thus more triple nipples potentially abound! I sense an evolutionary tide. nostrowski

The whole "more attractive as a mate" thing always causes me to wonder why the intelligencia is not the romantic hot ticket item. Nerds rule!

bFast

Brilliant.

I have a 3rd nipple. Whatcha got for me?

From an evolutionary perspective? Disdain, nothing but disdain. Your trait demonstrates the flip side of the NS coin, because it confers a selection disadvantage on you. Prospective mates running for the nearest exit after seeing you bare chested for the first time does not bode well for the replication of your genes. Sorry. -- BA Scott

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