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To: wyattearp
Probably ought to modify that to Darwinians after DNA was discovered.

Once they found what genes were all about the Darwinians thought they had a mechanism to support the entire thesis in every detail ~ to wit: mutations in genes, occuring for a variety of reasons, with "beneficial" genes assisting in adaptation.

Subsequent research has demonstrated that virtually all "mutations" at the base-pair level do nothing ~ this is because (according to some sources) because every protein produced in a gene is readily assembled by at least three different ways ~ so most variations don't create changes in the intended product.

Genetic change other than mutation, e.g. duplication, (deletion), and reordering have far greater impact, and do so at far faster rates.

DNA methylation has recently come under indepth study and that process might well account for far more change than we can yet imagine.

109 posted on 08/08/2006 5:05:58 AM PDT by muawiyah (-/sarcasm)
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To: muawiyah; SirLinksalot
Here is an interesting article out of Harvard:

Evolution follows few of the possible paths to antibiotic resistance

Mutations may not be as helpful for neo-Darwinian evolution as expected.

112 posted on 08/09/2006 6:53:54 AM PDT by Michael_Michaelangelo (The best theory is not ipso facto a good theory.)
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