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| Author | Topic: Examples of new information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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dan4reason Junior Member (Idle past 86 days)  Posts: 25 Joined:
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I would like some examples of how the process of natural selection and mutations created new information. This must not occur by playing around with gene switching. Preferably this should occur by mutating a protein to gain a new function. Examples must be specific in exactly what gene was mutated, what the gene does, and what it did.
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Admin Director  Posts: 11253 From: EvC Forum Joined: Member Rating: 9.5
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If you describe the math you'd like to use for quantifying information I'll go ahead and promote this thread.
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dan4reason Junior Member (Idle past 86 days) Posts: 25 Joined: |
I am not too stingy with the definition of information. I am specifically looking for a novel adaptation that performs a new task through natural selection and mutations. These mutations could for example change the DNA coding for an enzyme, in order for the enzyme to perform another useful function. One can also show mutational adaptations conforming to information theory.
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Admin Director Posts: 11253 From: EvC Forum Joined: Member Rating: 9.5
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Hey, my alma mater! How would you go about measuring the amount of information in a gene? For example, let's say the gene was this: CAGTAGCCTAAC How would you calculate its information content? Edited by Admin, : Remove sig.
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dan4reason Junior Member (Idle past 86 days) Posts: 25 Joined: |
I have no clue, which is why I gave the first definition: Performing some new function not involved with gene switching. That should be a lot easier.
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Admin Director Posts: 11253 From: EvC Forum Joined: Member Rating: 9.5
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One common answer to your question about a new function is nylon eating bacteria, but the usual response is that the behavior was caused by a deletion rather than an addition. If your criteria is merely new function, then your question has already been answered. But if your criteria is new function by adding information to the genome then we need to know how you're measuring information. If by the number of nucleotides, a rather simplistic measure, then nylon eating bacteria do not qualify. But if by the number of alleles for the gene in the bacterial population, then nylon eating bacteria do qualify. Your understandable reaction is probably, "Sheesh, I was just trying to ask a simple question." But as you must have guessed by now, the question has been raised here before, so I was hoping for a little clarification. Edited by Admin, : Grammar.
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dan4reason Junior Member (Idle past 86 days) Posts: 25 Joined: |
How do you know that this came about by mutation instead of gene switching or from plasmids?
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Admin Director Posts: 11253 From: EvC Forum Joined: Member Rating: 9.5
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Hi Dan4Reason, We're just going through the thread proposal process, not having a pre-discussion about your topic. Nylon-eating bacteria was just the example I chose to explain why the approach used to measure information is important. If we don't agree on the method for measuring genetic information then we'll have no criteria for judging success or failure in answering your question. If you can describe how you're measuring information I can promote your thread. Or we can take the other approach you suggested of providing examples of mutations that produce new proteins.
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dan4reason Junior Member (Idle past 86 days) Posts: 25 Joined: |
My issue with the example is that I want to make sure that adaptation actually came about by natural selection and mutations, not something else. I not necessarily looking for mutations that make new proteins, I am looking for mutations that make proteins with new functions. I can leave out the information part, and just ask for the above.
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Admin Director Posts: 11253 From: EvC Forum Joined: Member Rating: 9.5
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