Madam, - Professor Reville (September 25th) interestingly contrasts nature's engineering solutions with human design; however, he neglects to mention those structures in which natural selection has pre-empted our ingenuity.
The tubular cross-section of mammalian limb bones and the weight saving honeycomb of avian bone with its internal, strut-like reinforcements shows the effectiveness of the Darwinian mechanism in achieving excellent design.
Professor Reville is correct in pointing out that nature's action is constrained - it can only modify existing forms.
Hence we are saddled with sadly inefficient design solutions also: our sore backs bearing witness to our four-legged ancestry. - Yours, etc.,
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BRENDAN O'DONOGHUE, Ballybofey, Co Donegal