[Michael_Michaelangelo]

When billions of taxpayer dollars are being funneled into research programs, and thousands of scientists are out there utilizing the latest and greatest equipment available - of course they are going to *stumble* across things like this.

However, since most scientists accept billions of years and thousands of beneficial 'accidents' as being responsible for themselves - what's a few more years in waiting to discover another use of a perceived piece of "junk?", eh?

[general_re]

"Stumble"? Do you have anything to support that characterization, other than your own fevered imagination? Because it sure looks like the result of a deliberate investigation to me. And when exactly was the 5a gene in the winter flounder first described, anyway? Do you even know what the rationale was in calling them pseudogenes in the first place, or are you comfortable - as apparently you are - in inventing your contention that it was simply assumed to be a pseudogene by the original investigators? Did you even bother looking up the work of the people who first described 5a, or does that crystal ball of yours obviate such mundane gruntwork?