Fractals and Speciation

[mbpi at juno.com]

Hello all,
 
This may or may not be the place to pose this query, but I have secretly
harbored a curiosity regarding mathematical "fractals" and their
relationship to the evolution of species...as opposed to the current
trend of molecular biology attempting to define specification.
 
Is anyone out there doing research in this venue?  I first stumbled upon
this possibility as a scientific illustrator of spider genitalia.  After
drawing some 250+ differing specimens, I couldn't help but notice the
incredible diversity, indeed, "artistic creativity," of the numbers of
species-specific genital morphology in the spider population alone!  I
also looked at moths under the scope, but they weren't quite as "surreal"
as the spiders.  Nonetheless, they exhibited definite species
differences, however subtle.
 
Being an artist with a Biology background, if I were to go back to school
for my PhD, this is the research I would pursue.  I'm NOT a
mathematician, which is a definite handicap, but I have (or had) a knack
for abstract reasoning, so "puzzles," i.e. problem solving, has always
been my certain forte.  I never even heard of  "fractals" until I watched
a PBS program, "Art Chicago," several years ago, which had a short
sequence on fractals and their relevance to explaining the seeming
incongruity of Nature: such as coast lines and mountain ranges.  What
appears incongruous is actually a repetition of a specific fractal
equation with an order.  For all my limited knowledge, I believe this can
be applied to speciation, much like a kaleidoscope pushing its fractional
limits by increments until a new, very different "picture" has evolved.
Being a rather "scattered" individual myself, I seem to recall that
fractals have been around since the 60's or 70's, though I don't want to
stick my foot in my mouth, as I'm too lazy tonight to check it out.
 
I've attempted to strike this thought up with friends at the American
Museum of Natural History, to no avail.  Cladistics is a hard nut to
crack (!)
 
Is there anyone else out there who has an interest in this unexplored
potential?
 
M.B. Prondzinski
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