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To: Dominic Harr
The only difference between 'microevolution' and 'macroevolution' is time.

Well, I guess it's "time" to answer this statement. Microevolution usually involves mutations and changes in genes - hereditary units within chromosomes. Macroevolution requires the addition of entire chromosomes. Mutations are easy to understand and explain. The addition of entire chromosomes is difficult to explain and opens up a whole 'nother can of worms in unanswered questions. If you understand biology - a huge difference. If you don't (or if you don't wish to), ignore, wonder still and press on.

159 posted on 07/11/2002 1:02:24 PM PDT by foolish-one
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To: foolish-one
What about the left over psuedogenes that serve no purpose other than to cause cancer (supposedly). It makes sense that some new genes (and their functions) would sometimes become un-used as that particulat trait became useless.

There is a good example in the human anatomy.

Prediction 2.3: Molecular vestigial characters Vestigial characters should also be found at the molecular level.

Humans do not have the capability to synthesize ascorbic acid (otherwise known as Vitamin C), and the unfortunate consequence can be the nutritional deficiency called scurvy. However, the predicted ancestors of humans had this function (as do most other animals except primates and guinea pigs). Therefore, we predict that humans, other primates, and guinea pigs should carry evidence of this lost function as a molecular vestigial character (nota bene: this very prediction was explicitly made by Nishikimi and others and was the impetus for the research detailed below) (Nishikimi et al. 1992; Nishikimi et al. 1994).

Confirmation:
Recently, the L-gulano-g-lactone oxidase gene, the gene required for Vitamin C synthesis, was found in humans and guinea pigs (Nishikimi et al. 1992; Nishikimi et al. 1994). It exists as a pseudogene, present but incapable of functioning (see prediction 4.4 for more about pseudogenes). In fact, since this was originally written the vitamin C pseudogene has been found in other primates, exactly as predicted by evolutionary theory. We now have the DNA sequences for this broken gene in chimpanzees, orangutans, and macaques (Ohta and Nishikimi 1999). And, as predicted, the nonfunctional human and chimpanzee pseudogenes are the most similar, followed by the human and orangutan genes, followed by the human and macaque genes, precisely as predicted by evolutionary theory. Furthermore, all of these genes have accumulated mutations at the exact rate predicted (the background rate of mutation for neutral DNA regions like pseudogenes) (Ohta and Nishikimi 1999).

There are several other examples of vestigial human genes, including multiple odorant receptor genes (Rouquier et al. 2000), the RT6 protein gene (Haag et al. 1994), the galactosyl transferase gene (Galili and Swanson 1991), and the tyrosinase-related gene (TYRL) (Oetting et al. 1993).

Our odorant receptor (OR) genes once coded for proteins involved in now lost olfactory functions. Our predicted ancestors, like other mammals, had a more acute sense of smell than we do now; humans have >99 odorant receptor genes, of which ~70% are pseudogenes. Many other mammals, such as mice and marmosets, have many of the same OR genes as us, but all of theirs actually work. An extreme case is the dolphin, which is the descendant of land mammals. It no longer has any need to smell volatile odorants, yet it contains many OR genes, of which none are functional – they are all pseudogenes (Freitag et al. 1998).

The RT6 protein is expressed on the surface of T lymphocytes in other mammals, but not on ours. The galactosyl transferase gene is involved in making a certain carbohydrate found on the cell membranes of other mammals. Tyrosinase is the major enzyme responsible for melanin pigment in all animals. TYRL is a pseudogene of tyrosinase.

It is satisfying to note that we share these vestigial genes with other primates, and that the mutations that made these genes nonfunctional are also shared with several other primates (see predictions 4.3-4.5 for more about shared nonfunctional characters).

Potential Falsification:
It would be very puzzling if we had not found the L-gulano-g-lactone oxidase pseudogene or the other vestigial genes mentioned. In addition, we can predict that we will never find vestigial chloroplast genes in any metazoans (i.e. animals) (Li 1997, pp. 284-286, 348-354).

Lnk to source

EBUCK

166 posted on 07/11/2002 1:13:38 PM PDT by EBUCK
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To: foolish-one
Microevolution usually involves mutations and changes in genes - hereditary units within chromosomes. Macroevolution requires the addition of entire chromosomes.

Macroevolution requires that the genes change enough that they appear to be completely different.

And certainly you agree that a bunch of small changes will equal a big change.

The only difference between 'micro' and 'macro' evolution is time.

Ya'll don't disagree with 'evolution', oddly enough.

179 posted on 07/11/2002 1:33:22 PM PDT by Dominic Harr
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