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cowfudger t1_isrge8n wrote

And that's evolution in a microcosm. A bit simplified but the basic idea. Deformities and mutations lead to evolutionary leaps all the time. Some deformities actually help animals survive and take advantage of particular niches in nature. In this case it's man directing the path but it's all the same concept.

Not defending smushed faces by the by.

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willie_caine t1_iss64or wrote

Sure, but in this case it looks more like a symbiotic relationship has turned parasitic.

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thebedla t1_iss9djg wrote

Yup. What's a deformity and what's an advantageous trait is only situational. Is longer fur a deformity or an advantageous trait? Depends on the environment. Is no hair a deformity or an advantageous trait? Depends on the environment. Whatever helps your genes to spread better is advantageous by definition. Snubbed noses would be a disadvantage, but people killing puppies with normal snouts and keeping only those with snubbed noses makes it an evolutionary advantage.

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