One of the hallmarks of interesting evolutionary processes is cumulative adaptations.Many have observed that there is a deep correspondence between genetic and memetic adaptations.
For example, Dennett famously compared a beaver dam to the Hoover dam and a Spider's web to the World wide web.
Here's a list of some of the similarities:
| Genetic adaptation | Memetic adaptation |
|---|---|
| Fur | Clothes |
| Antlers | Helmet |
| Brain | Computer |
| Kidney | Filter |
| Heart | Pump |
| Eye | Camera |
| Ear | Microphone |
| Echlocation | Radar |
| Voicebox | Speaker |
| Muscle | Servo |
| Lungs | Bellows |
| Blowhole | Snorkel |
| Skeleton | Shasis |
| Exoskeleton | Armour |
| Fin | Rudder |
| Tooth | Knife |
| Claw | Spear |
| Nerve | Cable |
| Vine | Rope |
| Leaf | Solar cell |
| Tree trunk | Girder |
| Shell | House |
| Flagellum | Propellor |
| Bird | Aeroplane |
| Portuguese Man o' War | Ship |
| Fish | Submarine |
| Cheetah | Car |
| Gecko feet | Velcro |
Many classes of adaptation don't fit neatly into the table - because the same names are used in both domains:
| Class |
|---|
| Weaponry |
| Mimicry |
| Advertising |
| Warnings |
| Traps |
| Domestication |
| Immunity |
| Decoys |
| Poisons |
There are also some memetic phenomene with no genetic equivalent:
| Spacecraft |
| Atom bomb |
...and some genetic phenomena with no precise memetic equivalent:
| Human brain |
| Spider silk |
| Dragonfly |
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