Posted on 03/24/2010 7:10:29 PM PDT by SunkenCiv
During the Cambrian Period, which lasted from 543 million to 490 million years ago, life forms included primitive marine organisms, such as echinoderms (a group that now includes sea stars and sea cucumbers), annelid worms and sponge-like organisms.
Garrity and his colleagues reconstructed TRPA1's family tree back some 700 million years using a variety of bioinformatic methods (bioinformactics applies computer programs and statistic techniques to study biological data).
For instance, the researchers compared the TRPA1 protein from different organisms to see how similar they were. They then used several computer programs to figure out how the proteins would relate to each other in terms of evolution.
"We discovered that a new branch split off the tree at least 500 million years ago, and that this new branch, the TRPA1 branch, appeared to have had all the features needed for chemical sensing even back then," Garrity said. "Since that time, it appears that most animals, including humans, have maintained this same ancient system for detecting reactive chemicals."
(Excerpt) Read more at livescience.com ...
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The difference between an onion and bin Laden? Nobody cries when you chop up bin Laden. |
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· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
And another million dollars wasted that common knowlage could have answered.
Uhhhhhhhhh, have they figured out why the Phyla separated so extensively at that time? And not so much since?
"Onions have layers."
Garrity said. “Since that time, it appears that most animals, including humans, have maintained this same ancient system for detecting Democrats”
There, fixed it.
There are times I am glad I was a slacker and did not become a scientist. This is one of those times.
That study makes me cry.
Is there no end to the waste?
“why” is outside the realm of science and belongs to the realm of religion.
Would you accept a “how” question? We have enough trouble finding evidence for one species becoming a different species. I’m curious about how a Kingdom differentiates into various Phyla. That’s big stuff. And it happened so quickly! The magic of punctuated equilibrium, I suppose.
Sophia Loren is sexy, Porsches look cool, water is wet. No studies needed.
We didn’t have pre-human ancestors.
Out before the flame wars!!
Allium meant by that is, oh, okay, ya got me, I just wanted to work that pun into a sentence, and couldn’t figure out how.
I’ve evolved into a slacker, and boy did that tire me out. Think I’ll take a nap.
Maybe one of the species phyla complaint.
Because they keep away vampires, silly.
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