Is Variety the Spice of Life?

Why is there more to life than spice?

In evolution, it is heavily debated what the fundamental unit of heredity should be.

For the most part, Richard Dawkins argues in favour of the gene as the sole patent owner of heredity, as far as immortality goes. Other scientists have introduced three other inheritance systems. They, nonetheless, acknowledge the genetic form of inheritance is indisputable.

With occasional exceptions, we can safely conclude: the fundamental unit of heredity is the gene.

What of diversity?

Some geneticists still argue diversity stems from the gene.

E. O. Wilson, however, has defended the idea of diversity from three levels — the gene, the species, and the ecosystem. In his marvelous book, he explains in vivid detail the diversity of life in a prose style that is indistinguishable from how he spoke in person. In the entire book, he never got to include viruses, as he believed that viruses were not living entities.

What, then, is the fundamental unit of diversity?

Let us take the gene-centered view.

If you have identical twins with perfect replication, then at this level, there is no diversity. Despite this, the twins grow to develop different tastes and ambitions. Diversity is, therefore, not solely genetic.

What of species?

Species, defined in the biological sense, can naturally interbreed to give rise to viable offspring. Here, there is a clear difference between one species and another. Right?

Well, not quite.

The biological concept of species is just one way of defining species. Remember, life is thought to have existed on Earth for over 3 billion years. Before humans and the internet, life was principally bacterial. These do not naturally interbreed as defined by the biological species concept. Does the diversity at this level then fall short?

What of the ecosystem?

Ecosystems are highly complex. We are likely to resort to our ignorance and claim this too is a measure of variability. We can hardly predict the future of three bodies interacting with accuracy, what, then of an ecosystem? How can we establish its boundary for us to consider it as a means of identifying its diversity?

We could attribute its diversity to its components and their diverse interactions. If we are to take this line of thought, then human beings are just as complex as ecosystems. Indeed, we are more bacterial than human beings.

How so?

Every human cell has more mitochondria than itself.

Mitochondria are bacterial in origin. By that measure, we have more bacterial cells than human cells.

I have not even touched on other bacteria such as those found in the gut. But if we are also to take down the veil of single-celled organisms, we find nuclear components interacting with cytoplasmic content (cellular goo) in diverse ways. Why then should we resort to one over another? Taste, maybe?

What I do know is there is another possible way, as I have highlighted elsewhere.

In line with diversity, there is a Kenyan rapper who rose through the ranks.

In his song featuring Brenda, Moss Moss, E-sir raps about his unique identity, much in keeping with the various forms of diversity we see in life. If I were to remind his fans, I can reiterate a line from the same song: wako wengi lakini it’s obvious I’m better. (Despite there being many great artists, he stands out)

After his passing, his songs continue to rock Kenyan airwaves. His impact was so significant, Kenyan artists teamed up to compose a song in his honour.

Diversity indeed is diverse.

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