Posted on 01/26/2006 11:47:13 AM PST by PatrickHenry
Jeffrey H. Schwartz's Sudden Origins closed Darwin's gaps; cell biology explains how.
An article by University of Pittsburgh Professor of Anthropology Jeffrey H. Schwartz and University of Salerno Professor of Biochemistry Bruno Maresca, to be published Jan. 30 in the New Anatomist journal, shows that the emerging understanding of cell structure lends strong support to Schwartz's theory of evolution, originally explained in his seminal work, Sudden Origins: Fossils, Genes, and the Emergence of Species (John Wiley & Sons, 2000).
In that book, Schwartz hearkens back to earlier theories that suggest that the Darwinian model of evolution as continual and gradual adaptation to the environment glosses over gaps in the fossil record by assuming the intervening fossils simply have not been found yet. Rather, Schwartz argues, they have not been found because they don't exist, since evolution is not necessarily gradual but often sudden, dramatic expressions of change that began on the cellular level because of radical environmental stressors-like extreme heat, cold, or crowding-years earlier.
Determining the mechanism that causes those delayed expressions of change is Schwartz's major contribution to the evolution of the theory of evolution. The mechanism, the authors explain, is this: Environmental upheaval causes genes to mutate, and those altered genes remain in a recessive state, spreading silently through the population until offspring appear with two copies of the new mutation and change suddenly, seemingly appearing out of thin air. Those changes may be significant and beneficial (like teeth or limbs) or, more likely, kill the organism.
Why does it take an environmental drama to cause mutations? Why don't cells subtly and constantly change in small ways over time, as Darwin suggests?
Cell biologists know the answer: Cells don't like to change and don't do so easily. As Schwartz and Maresca explain: Cells in their ordinary states have suites of molecules- various kinds of proteins-whose jobs are to eliminate error that might get introduced and derail the functioning of their cell. For instance, some proteins work to keep the cell membrane intact. Other proteins act as chaperones, bringing molecules to their proper locations in the cell, and so on. In short, with that kind of protection from change, it is very difficult for mutations, of whatever kind, to gain a foothold. But extreme stress pushes cells beyond their capacity to produce protective proteins, and then mutation can occur.
This revelation has enormous implications for the notion that organisms routinely change to adapt to the environment. Actually, Schwartz argues, it is the environment that knocks them off their equilibrium and as likely ultimately kills them as changes them. And so they are being rocked by the environment, not adapting to it.
The article's conclusions also have important implications for the notion of “fixing” the environment to protect endangered species. While it is indeed the environment causing the mutation, the resulting organism is in an altogether different environment by the time the novelty finally escapes its recessive state and expresses itself.
“You just can't do a quick fix on the environment to prevent extinction because the cause of the mutation occurred some time in the past, and you don't know what the cause of the stress was at that time,” Schwartz said.
“This new understanding of how organisms change provides us with an opportunity to forestall the damage we might cause by unthinking disruption of the environment,” added Schwartz. “The Sudden Origins theory, buttressed by modern cell biology, underscores the need to preserve the environment-not only to enhance life today, but to protect life generations from now.”
Schwartz, with his colleague Ian Tattersall, curator of anthropology at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, also authored the four-volume The Human Fossil Record (Wiley-Liss, 2002-05). Together, the volumes represent the first study of the entire human fossil record. Volume 1 was recognized by the Association of American Publishers with its Professional Scholarly Publishing Award. In 1987, Schwartz's The Red Ape: Orang-utans and Human Origin (Houghton Mifflin Company) was met with critical acclaim.
Schwartz, who also is a Pitt professor of the history and philosophy of science, was named a fellow in Pitt's Center for the Philosophy of Science and a fellow of the prestigious World Academy of Arts and Science.
The journal, The New Anatomist, is an invitation-only supplement to the Anatomical Record.
A headline. From the media. Hopefully you're not this credulous with the New York Times. Notice that none of the scientists in the article use the "P" word?
Scientist Sasson is quoted as saying "scientific proof", btw. In a subhead, still is appears to be direct quote.
Senator Bedfellow: Hoyle makes the usual mistake of assuming that you've either got a fully-functioning histone, or you have garbage. But of course, there's no demand on the theory of evolution that says that whatever a structure is doing now, that's what it's always done - one of the primary mechanisms of evolution we see are old things being co-opted into new functions. So it's not necessarily the case that histones had to evolve stepwise into this one and only function, all while being completely nonfunctional until they reached that magic end result - homologs such as the protamines may well have served some entirely different function before doing what histones do now. A minor change to that homolog, and presto - histones.bvw: Your "presto" tells a tale, eh? Such a "minor" change. Where is the scientific proof for it? Sure seems you hold it more like a magical belief ... "presto and there it is!"
IOW, they're not scientists.
Where is the scientific proof for it?
To which I informed you that science doesn't deal in proof. You could have asked for evidence, but you seem intent on tilting at this here windmill. Well, okay.
Well, now's your chance to convince someone else. You've strung together some words and called it a possibility. I called it fiction. It is fiction until you show otherwise. So have at it. At the moment your comment is fiction.
You might as well throw this out since it was completely ignored by the nominal politician.
They may well be. There is no official government scientist license. Yet. Maybe in France, not here. But trumps like the Judge's ruling in Dover PA bring up step-by-step closer to such a day. Is that evolution or oppression?
Maybe they're bioelectromagnetic hygienists too.
And what title is given an expert practitioner in MRI, pray tell? Would it be naught but "bioelectromagnetic hygienist", eh? With Ph.D., too.
"Radiologist"? Really, you could Google something like that, I think.
It's fairly clear, your fiction is not a possibility, it is a fiction. A possibility is that rat Histone H4 and Human histone H4 come from a common ancestor. Your fiction is nothing like that possibility.
[From a web posting found by Google]I should explain what bioelectromagnetic hygiene is. This is a specialization of the profession of industrial hygiene that is specific to the electromagnetic field, primarily to the non-ionizing electromagnetic field. While the profession of industrial hygiene is devoted to the prevention of those diseases caused by exposure to hazardous agents in the environment (often, in the occupational environment), the profession of bioelectromagnetic hygiene specializes in the prevention of those diseases caused by exposure to environmental electromagnetic fields, especially non-ionizing electromagnetic fields.
My statement is therefore that of a professional having some expertise on this issue. (I hold an earned Ph.D. in physics-University of Virginia, 1965-and have been certified in the comprehensive practice of industrial hygiene by the American Board of Industrial Hygiene, which entitles me to place the initials "C.I.H." after my name.)
Yours for a more healthful environment
Marjorie Lundquist, Ph.D., C.I.H.
The question is "where do histones come from" and your idea of a possible answer is "the common ancestor of rats and humans"?
Perhaps you should back up and review the thread - your confusion over my posts may be resolved once you're clearer about what exactly it is we're discussing today.
Oh, good. So, what sort of original research has she done that would demonstrate her expertise in the scientific method?
The Ph.D. requires a quality thesis, since hers is in Physics, gee golly molly, there you are. Additionally her daily work in her expertise is science.
Perhaps I wasn't clear - what sort of work has she done that would lend her credibility as an expert in the scientific method?
Hint: this is the part where you cite some of that work.
Cited by "An Assessment of Potential Health Effects from Exposures to PAVE PAWS" September 9, 2002 - September 10, 2002, J. Erik Johnson Woods Hole Center
So, got any original research up your sleeve?
No, the question was.... "Read this, tell me if you think histones are a problem for NDT."
This was your fiction...."homologs such as the protamines may well have served some entirely different function before doing what histones do now. A minor change to that homolog, and presto - histones."
This is sequence data for H4 for the applicable species.
gi|55667113|ref|XP_520759.1| PREDICTED: similar to germinal histone H4 gene [Pan troglodytes] Length=152
Score = 162 bits (410), Expect = 3e-39
Identities = 82/82 (100%), Positives = 82/82 (100%), Gaps = 0/82 (0%)
Query 22 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 81 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT Sbjct 71 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 130 Query 82 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 103 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG Sbjct 131 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 152
gi|50729214|ref|XP_425458.1| PREDICTED: similar to germinal histone H4 gene [Gallus gallus] Length=171
Score = 162 bits (410), Expect = 3e-39
Identities = 82/82 (100%), Positives = 82/82 (100%), Gaps = 0/82 (0%)
Query 22 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 81 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT Sbjct 90 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 149 Query 82 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 103 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG Sbjct 150 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 171
gi|76651053|ref|XP_875330.1| PREDICTED: similar to germinal histone H4 gene [Bos taurus] Length=129
Score = 162 bits (410), Expect = 3e-39
Identities = 82/82 (100%), Positives = 82/82 (100%), Gaps = 0/82 (0%)
Query 22 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 81 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT Sbjct 48 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 107 Query 82 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 103 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG Sbjct 108 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 129
gi|33114104|gb|AAP94670.1| histone H4 [Mytilus chilensis]
gi|51315709|sp|Q6WV74|H4_MYTCH Histone H4 Length=103
Score = 162 bits (410), Expect = 3e-39
Identities = 82/82 (100%), Positives = 82/82 (100%), Gaps = 0/82 (0%)
Query 22 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 81 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT Sbjct 22 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 81 Query 82 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 103 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG Sbjct 82 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 103
gi|47199540|emb|CAF87814.1| unnamed protein product [Tetraodon nigroviridis] Length=102
Score = 162 bits (410), Expect = 3e-39
Identities = 82/82 (100%), Positives = 82/82 (100%), Gaps = 0/82 (0%)
Query 22 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 81 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT Sbjct 21 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 80 Query 82 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 103 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG Sbjct 81 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 102
gi|27692935|gb|AAH19757.2| Hist2h4 protein [Mus musculus] Length=112
Score = 162 bits (410), Expect = 3e-39
Identities = 82/82 (100%), Positives = 82/82 (100%), Gaps = 0/82 (0%)
Query 22 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 81 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT Sbjct 31 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 90 Query 82 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 103 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG Sbjct 91 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 112
gi|47479776|gb|AAH69288.1| H4 histone family, member C [Homo sapiens] Length=103
Score = 162 bits (410), Expect = 3e-39 Identities = 82/82 (100%), Positives = 82/82 (100%), Gaps = 0/82 (0%)
Query 22 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 81 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT Sbjct 22 VLRDNIQGITKPAIRRLARRGGVKRISGLIYEETRGVLKVFLENVIRDAVTYTEHAKRKT 81 Query 82 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG 103 VTAMDVVYALKRQGRTLYGFGG
Show me the sequence data for the homolog protamine in your fiction and it might become a possibility and not fiction.
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