"Mr P.A. Van Heusden" wrote:
> None of this means that the existence of a trait means that that trait
> is a 'response' to natural selection.
This is the essential point to keep in mind to avoid teleology -- the equation of natural selection with some Nature God/Goddess. The appearance of a trait is purely contingent; its *preservation* a matter of selection and/or piggy-back riding on other traits.
Carrol