In evolution can traits in an organism move from specialized derived forms towards more generalized forms, or does evolution always drive towards more specialized forms of a trait?

Question

trancenova · Answer

Hmm interesting question (I was going to leave it to you blues, but since you didn't reply :P).

 It would depend on the evolution "driver" as to what the evolution is driving towards. That is if say environmental conditions (lor other conditions) remove more generalized organisms then the organisms will be driven to more specialized forms and vice versa. Keep in mind that mutations are entirely random and so evolution will be driven by the outside 'condition'.

If I've said anything dumb blame it on my class :P

anonymous · Answer

No your answer is very well spoken.  I imagined that that might be the case I just wasn't entirely sure.  Moving towards better environmental fitness almost makes it seem like a species would not revert or head towards an ancestral form but I wouldn't expect the directionality to be limited in any way either.

trancenova · Answer

Well yeah, I suppose it would revert to an ancestral form if environmental conditions were one way in the past, changed, then changed back but then again that would just be convergent evolution.

blues · Answer

It is a very interesting question!

I guess evolution toward general forms might occur under 'permissive' environmental conditions, or conditions which favor generalists. I guess those would be favored in a widely variable environment where conditions change very rapidly...