Hacker Newsnew | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submitlogin

It doesn't work like that.

That type of association is called "Lamarckian" after Jean-Baptiste Lamarck who posited that animals can "pass on characteristics that it acquired during its lifetime to its offspring"[1]. But animals do not pass on traits they acquired during their lifetime via genetics.

So even if utensils over one's life caused a overbite, it would not be transmitted via genetics to one's offspring. In order for evolution and utensils to interact via selection, it would have to be the case in which there was a genetic trait associated with an overbite that made you more fit when using utensils than those without it, thus out-mating the competition.

[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lamarckism



Consider applying for YC's Winter 2026 batch! Applications are open till Nov 10

Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: