Evolution
EvolutionDec 11, 2008: I've read that humans gained about 200cc of brain capacity some 100,000 years ago. Is this true? Also, how did human brains get to be so big? Oct 23, 2008: Hypothetically, if all the dogs in the world could somehow run wild, how many generations would it take before they all looked the same? May 08, 2008: You stated in an earlier answer that human chromosome 2 is made up of two fused chromosomes from the common human-chimp ancestor. This fused chromosome then spread throughout the human population. Could common design be an alternative explanation? What specifically RULES out common design for the fused chromosome? Dec 06, 2007: What causes changes in DNA? Do accumulative changes in DNA lead to evolution? Could you explain that process to me. How does the DNA know that it needs to adapt? It is my understanding that the germ cells that pass traits to the next generation are isolated from the cells that are affected by the environment. How does that knowledge and or adaptation get passed to the next generation? Nov 30, 2007: The field of evo-devo has started showing that big evolutionary changes can happen with only limited genetic changes. Changes in genes that control the expression of other genes can have dramatic effects on an organism. A small change in the expression of one protein can create a much larger and different beak in a bird, for example. So evolution does not require invention of entirely new genes -- just tinkering with expression of the ones already in existence.
Question: Is there any indication that these control genes might be unusually susceptible to mutation? Or maybe there are lots more versions of these control genes, creating more places for selection to act on? If so, this would help explain why evolution sometimes occurs very rapidly. Aug 29, 2007: If evolutionary theories hold true, how did the leap from 24 to 23 chromosome pairs occur from 'apes' to humans? How is it possible for two chromosomes to merge into one, and for the resulting species to survive to breed? Mar 30, 2007: How do we know that evolution isn't a hoax? Dec 15, 2006: Due to slight changes in their genetic makeup, bacteria have been able to successfully develop antibiotic resistance. Would it be possible for humans to develop this kind of resistance as well? Could we make this process work for us and become resistant to, for example, the mutations caused by cigarette smoke or UV light? Oct 06, 2006: All my life I have believed that as humans, we are slowly but surely through the evolutionary process losing our pinky fingers, much in the same way we lost our tails.
My 16-yr-old daughter mentioned it to her Anthropolgy/Sociology/Psychology teacher. He asked her to bring in an article supporting the idea; he'd never heard that being postulated before.
I've spent HOURS looking on the 'Net -- nothing! Many vague references, hundreds of message board posts that make reference to it, but not one article, not one paper, nothing, that either supports or refutes the idea.
I would have thought that our DNA would have mutated to accommodate unnecessary/disused functions of our corporal selves and gotten rid of anything excess. No? Aug 10, 2006: Why when a fish goes into a cave does it eventually lose its eyes? In other words, why did the eyes of cave fish disappear? Jun 16, 2006: What kind of genes do duck billed platypuses have?! Apr 21, 2006: In a new species, is the chromosome structure of the genome any different? What might cause the number of chromosomes to change? Would this be a mutation during reproduction? Is this something we see with simpler organisms? Apr 07, 2006: In your opinion, do you think we as humans are done evolving? It seems that modern medicine may be in conflict with the progression of natural evolution in that it interferes with survival of the fittest. I guess none of us will be around long enough to know for sure. Mar 24, 2006: Can DNA change in a human lifetime in his own body due to artificial causes? Can a human inherit a different DNA to his/her children? Actually I was talking to my friends about the tribe in Thailand that stretches their necks with rings. I was wondering if they stop putting rings around the women's necks, is it possible that a child will show any residue of this behavior (like being born with a slightly longer neck, etc.)
Note: will it matter if the ring thing was not only 50-70 years tradition but say if it was 300 years or 1000 years tradition? Feb 03, 2006: Hi, I am curious about the origins of mutations, such as eye color, and how they relate to early mankind and the spread of that particular mutation. For example, I have very light eyes. Am I descended from a person who had this mutation, and subsequently passed on this mutation to all people with blue eyes living today? In other words, do I share a common blue-eyed ancestor with all people with blue eyes? Also, I'm curious about the origins of blue eyes. I've read that the mutation formed in northern latitudes as a result of less light. It seems to me that mutations occur randomly and not as a response to the environment. Jan 27, 2006: I am having a debate with a friend about mutations and natural genetic variation. I say that the only way an ancestral population of canines could give rise to foxes, wolves, coyotes, and all varieties of dogs is through mutations and either natural or artificial selection. My opponent asserts that mutations aren't responsible, but instead the natural genetic variability of the ancestral stock is responsible.
My position is that this 'natural genetic variability' is nothing more than mutations with a different name. But, she has challenged me to find a geneticist who agrees with me (my degrees are in chemistry, math, and chemical engineering). So who is right? Dec 01, 2005: If people evolved from apes, then why are there still apes??? Sep 28, 2005: Are there any examples of evolution happening around us right now? I don't mean something like white and black moths and pollution but new species that have evolved. May 05, 2005: It is so incredible to me that the entire genetic code of 3 billion bits of information exists within every cell. Astonishing. My question has to do with the origins of DNA. How did it come to be? Does that same double helix structure exist in the most primitive, 1 celled organisms? Or did it evolve in complexity along with evolving life forms? Apr 01, 2005: I heard on a video yesterday that DNA allows a certain amount of variation within a kind but does not provide for moving from one kind to another. Is this true? It also said that the only way for a kind to go to another kind is through mutation but that mutations were usually degenerative and cannot account kind to kind evolution. Is this true? Sep 22, 2004: I recently read that the male Y chromosome used to have 1,438 genes, and only has 45 now. If the chromosome continues to degrade, are men going to go extinct? Aug 25, 2004: 1. "One of the most interesting questions still to understand ... is why did the wolf keep locked in its genome everything that was necessary to make a Pekingese to a Great Dane," said Elaine A. Ostrander of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. (Shar-Peis, Huskies Are Closest to Wolves By RANDOLPH E. SCHMID, Associated Press Writer)
2. The intriguing part is that the wolf (or original dog kind) apparently had the genetic information front loaded for all the future and subsequent dog breeds. Something that not only conforms to the creationist model and Intelligent Design (ID) model but isn't logical according to the Theory of Evolution (ToE) model. ToE would require mutation, natural selection, etc. Why would the wolf breed keep seemingly useless information locked into its genome? Why would it be there in the first place?
3. Is the dog genome front-loaded into the wolf genome? Is the Creationist in #2 interpreting Dr Ostrander's words correctly?
May 12, 2004: Is there a genetic reason some people survived the plague during the middle ages?
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