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Evolution study tightens human-chimp connection
EurekAlert (AAAS) ^ | 23 January 2006 | Staff

Posted on 01/23/2006 4:31:58 PM PST by PatrickHenry

Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have found genetic evidence that seems to support a controversial hypothesis that humans and chimpanzees may be more closely related to each other than chimps are to the other two species of great apes – gorillas and orangutans. They also found that humans evolved at a slower rate than apes.

Appearing in the January 23, 2006 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, biologist Soojin Yi reports that the rate of human and chimp molecular evolution – changes that occur over time at the genetic level – is much slower than that of gorillas and orangutans, with the evolution of humans being the slowest of all.

As species branch off along evolutionary lines, important genetic traits, like the rate of molecular evolution also begin to diverge. They found that the speed of this molecular clock in humans and chimps is so similar, it suggests that certain human-specific traits, like generation time, began to evolve one million years ago - very recently in terms of evolution. The amount of time between parents and offspring is longer in humans than apes. Since a long generation time is closely correlated with the evolution of a big brain, it also suggests that developmental changes specific to humans may also have evolved very recently.

In a large-scale genetic analysis of approximately 63 million base pairs of DNA, the scientists studied the rate at which the base pairs that define the differences between species were incorrectly paired due to errors in the genetic encoding process, an occurrence known as substitution.

"For the first time, we've shown that the difference in the rate of molecular evolution between humans and chimpanzees is very small, but significant, suggesting that the evolution of human-specific life history traits is very recent," said Yi.

Most biologists believe that humans and chimpanzees had a common ancestor before the evolutionary lines diverged about 5-7 million years ago. According to the analysis, one million years ago the molecular clock in the line that became modern humans began to slow down. Today, the human molecular clock is only 3 percent slower than the molecular clock of the chimp, while it has slowed down 11 percent from the gorilla's molecular clock.

This slow down in the molecular clock correlates with a longer generation time because substitutions need to be passed to the next generation in order to have any lasting effect on the species,

"A long generation time is an important trait that separates humans from their evolutionary relatives," said Navin Elango, graduate student in the School of Biology and first author of the research paper. "We used to think that apes shared one generation time, but that's not true. There's a lot more variation. In our study, we found that the chimpanzee's generation time is a lot closer to that of humans than it is to other apes."

The results also confirm that there is very little difference in the alignable regions of the human and chimp genomes. Taken together, the study's findings suggest that humans and chimps are more closely related to each other than the chimps are to the other great apes.

"I think we can say that this study provides further support for the hypothesis that humans and chimpanzees should be in one genus, rather than two different genus' because we not only share extremely similar genomes, we share similar generation time," said Yi.

Even though the 63 million base pairs they studied is a large sample, it's still a small part of the genome, Yi said. "If we look at the whole genome, maybe it's a different story, but there is evidence in the fossil record that this change in generation time occurred very recently, so the genetic evidence and the fossil data seem to fit together quite well so far."


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: chimpanzee; chimps; crevolist; evolution; fossils; ignoranceisstrength; paleontology; youngearthcultist
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To: whattajoke; TheBrotherhood
You're totally a fraud. You are a plant and a hack. No way you are real.

Why would TheBrotherhood being a fraud and a hack indicate that he's not a real creationist? It's not like we've not seen plenty of other creationist frauds and hacks.

So he's vehemently defending a lie, going so far as to selectively quote out of context an article whose conclusion is completely the opposite of his claim. Creationists do that all the time.
461 posted on 01/24/2006 3:53:26 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: Condorman; TheBrotherhood
Remember, TheBrotherhood ORIGINALLY claimed that "Darwin, according to his daughter/son, repented and asked forgiveness foe his frauds perpetrated on humanity."

Not only has he quoted an AiG article out of context and lied about its conclusion, but he hasn't even tried to support his initial lie that Darwin's "daughter/son" reported that Darwin had recanted.
462 posted on 01/24/2006 3:56:30 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: Condorman

And previously as Dallas Man and previous to that as New York Man.


463 posted on 01/24/2006 3:58:14 PM PST by Doctor Stochastic (Vegetabilisch = chaotisch ist der Charakter der Modernen. - Friedrich Schlegel)
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To: Dimensio; TheBrotherhood
Nah, he's different. I mean, he went out of his way to manipulate the quote from AiG. He made an effort. As we know, real creationists avoid all effort and work. Btw, it's been a while since anyone pointed out to TheBro that the Darwin deathbed story, while patently false, has no bearing on modern day science even if it weren't made up.
464 posted on 01/24/2006 4:02:29 PM PST by whattajoke
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To: VadeRetro; warpcorebreach
With your consent up front, I'll email Dolphin and if you're who you claim you can email me back and say, "Yes, I'm 'warpcorebreach' on FreeRepublic." How does that sound?

It sounds to me as if you should just go ahead and do it, with or without warpcorebreach's "consent".

465 posted on 01/24/2006 4:05:37 PM PST by Ichneumon
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To: Condorman
Note the primitive head covering, as compared to what we now call Pittsburgh Man.

LOL! Good one. You have me convinced ;-)

466 posted on 01/24/2006 4:07:38 PM PST by BMCDA (cdesign proponentsists - the missing link)
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To: TheBrotherhood

What you fail to mention, in your post #451, is that even if Lady Hope did see Darwin, it was a full 6 months before he died, and at that time, he was not on his deathbed, as Lady Hope claims....therefore, Lady Hope lied...she might have been there, might, being the important word(it cannot be said with any absolute certainty whether she was there or not, 6 months before Darwins death)...but she was not there when Darwin was on his deathbed...

But if Emma, Darwins wife was also there, why does she not support Lady Hopes claims...the answer is obvious...


467 posted on 01/24/2006 4:09:18 PM PST by andysandmikesmom
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To: whattajoke
I mean, he went out of his way to manipulate the quote from AiG. He made an effort.

Possibly. But then, I've seen cases where creationists saw a block of words strung together and didn't think any further before copying and pasting, honestly thinking that they were making a point whilst missing that the full context completely contradicted their claim.
468 posted on 01/24/2006 4:10:11 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: Dimensio
Funny how you deliberately ingored the article's conclusion: [...]

Hmmm, this reeks of nmh-syndrome...

469 posted on 01/24/2006 4:13:19 PM PST by BMCDA (cdesign proponentsists - the missing link)
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To: BMCDA

I agree with your post #469..tho there are other posters, who come to my mind, whose name one can use for that syndrome...


470 posted on 01/24/2006 4:16:39 PM PST by andysandmikesmom
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To: warpcorebreach

I see no mention of Irish or Scots there.


471 posted on 01/24/2006 4:16:44 PM PST by Oztrich Boy (Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering)
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To: Condorman; CarolinaGuitarman
I used to wonder ... who in this world could possibly be more dishonest than the dirtbag charlatans who run creationist websites? Now I know.
472 posted on 01/24/2006 4:20:43 PM PST by PatrickHenry (Virtual Ignore for trolls, lunatics, dotards, scolds, & incurable ignoramuses.)
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To: TheBrotherhood
You call that name-calling? That poster is Mother Theresa.
473 posted on 01/24/2006 4:27:21 PM PST by VadeRetro (Liberalism is a cancer on society. Creationism is a cancer on conservatism.)
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To: Condorman

We have historical evidence of what must be considered the quinitissential Pittsburgh Man. If this ain't proof of evolution, I don't know what is.

Also arguably the best MLB of all time.

474 posted on 01/24/2006 4:37:57 PM PST by freedumb2003 (American troops cannot be defeated. American Politicians can.)
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To: TheBrotherhood
I misread your post, having been away from the thread for 4-5 hours. You were talking about my 390. Note that the poster to whose characterization you object had sneeringly repeated a point I had refuted at some length. Playing dumb will lead to a spade being noted as a spade.
475 posted on 01/24/2006 4:46:39 PM PST by VadeRetro (Liberalism is a cancer on society. Creationism is a cancer on conservatism.)
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To: BMCDA
I mean has anyone ever witnessed a Baltimore Man turn into an Indianapolis Man?

As a former Baltimore Colt fan, let me just say ... don't get me started.

476 posted on 01/24/2006 4:51:00 PM PST by VadeRetro (Liberalism is a cancer on society. Creationism is a cancer on conservatism.)
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To: Virginia-American

I didn't post #56, why should I account for it?

477 posted on 01/24/2006 4:51:13 PM PST by StACase
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To: Junior

I've learned that being civil to you people doesn't pay. President Bush would do well to learn the same lesson.

478 posted on 01/24/2006 4:52:51 PM PST by StACase
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To: VadeRetro

I clicked on the wrong reply link,Sorry. One of you liberals claimed we are most closely related to bonobos.


479 posted on 01/24/2006 4:58:24 PM PST by StACase
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To: VadeRetro
As a former Baltimore Colt fan, let me just say ... don't get me started.

ROFL! I see, you evolved ;)

480 posted on 01/24/2006 5:00:27 PM PST by BMCDA (cdesign proponentsists - the missing link)
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