[GourmetDan]

"Both the genome and the organism are caught up on a cycle of cause and effect. But the changes that the body does to the genome (epigenetic) are transitory and change expression of genes. The changes that the genome undergoes are more or less permanent (baring a back mutation) and change the actual gene that is being expressed."

Absolutely wrong. You didn't understand the article, did you? You do realize that the human proteome is 3x the size of the genome, don't you.

"As I said before, every single protein in a chimp could be mutated into a fully functioning protein that is identical to a human protein."

You are confusing proteins w/ genes. They are not the same thing, which is what the article was pointing out.

"So what again is the “barrier” to a 2% genetic change or 6% genomic change over a few million years of divergent ancestry if the DNA itself is mutable, and either permutation works fine for keeping the organism alive?"

DNA mutation is constrained. It is not random. You will never get a human from a chimp.

[Fichori]

“DNA mutation is constrained. It is not random. You will never get a human from a chimp. ” [excerpt]

I'm starting to wonder about that.

From politicians to posters here on FR, there are specimens that make you we did get humans from chimps.

[allmendream]

You are rather silly. Of course I know the difference between a protein and DNA. Central dogma of Molecular Biology is DNA -> RNA -> Protein.

And what do you think determines the proteome if not the genome? You cannot make a protein without a gene to code for it.

Every GENE in a chimp could be mutated so that it forms a fully functioning protein that is identical to a human protein.

You have not yet said how you think DNA mutation is “constrained” nor do I hold out much hope of hearing a mechanism. SEEING AS IN HUNDREDS OF POSTS YOU STILL FAIL TO POINT OUT WHAT MECHANISM YOU THINK PULLS THE SUN AROUND A MOTIONLESS EARTH!

I'll quit wasting my time with you, even though you finally did see the truth of the matter that a bacteria increases its mutation rate in response to stress in order to better survive that stress. Baby steps. Baby steps.

[allmendream]

So if mutation is not random, and I have an error prone DNA polymerase that makes a mutation, on average, once every two hundred bases that it copies, and I have it copy the same stretch of a thousand bases of DNA a thousand times do you suppose that EVERY ONE of those strands will be identical? Why wouldn't they be if mutation wasn't random?

If we subject identical bacteria colonies plated from the same original cell to UV cross linking radiation, why after several generations are they all different and not the same? Wouldn't the mutagen be non-random for each independent colony, thus every change would be identical in each plate?

Do you think God's power stops at the Casino door? Do you really think that “random” somehow means “not under God's control”?