[dubyagee]

As you say, but if the world's species were created by fiat, there would be no particular reason to expect that their genomes could be arranged in such a tree.

If he used those genomes as the tools of His work there would be, would there not? IOW, (and forgive me if this sounds 'adorably childish' ; * ) In laying out the design of a monkey, he then goes on to the gorilla using the design of the monkey, then on to the chimpanzee, etc. until finally...man. Could that not explain the existance of the the 'tree'. (And please don't get technical about the order in which I placed those creatures. I have no idea which came first.)

[Doctor Stochastic]

Then why have one set of virial DNA incorporated into the non-coding DNA of gorillas, chimps, and humans and another set of viral DNA incorporated into the non-coding DNA of chimps and humans, each in the same place in the genome? Also why have exactly the same mutation incorporated into the part of the genome of chimps and humans that destroys the ability to make vitamin C? (Other animals that cannot make vitamin C have the mutation in another place.)

The non coding regions (or Kilroy region as I would like to have named them) tell much.