[Alex3917]

"The missing piece is how to identify over-specialization, and it's missing because it can't be usefully generalized."

If you read the literature on selective breeding they have extensive methodologies for avoiding genetic problems. If you just want a quick overview, Temple Grandin's book "Animals in Translation" has a couple of really entertaining chapters on the subject.

[jlefo7p6]

That book looks hugely interesting--thanks for the recommendation!

We've been using biological metaphors in this discussion, but I'm not sure we can extend them this far.