Author
|
Topic: Is Human DNA as good as it gets?
|
werechicken
Inactive Member
|
|
Message 16 of 25 (295217)
03-14-2006 12:03 PM
|
Reply to: Message 15 by NosyNed 02-09-2006 11:19 PM
|
|
Re: Recent Human Evolution
The reason that our DNA might not have changed much is that we are the first species to look after the lame and the sick effectively, also the advent of modern medicine has kept fault genes in the gene pool, this will lead to a 'stagnation' of the gene pool, and that is why human DNA has not changed much
This message is a reply to: | | Message 15 by NosyNed, posted 02-09-2006 11:19 PM | | NosyNed has not replied |
|
AdminJar
Inactive Member
|
Welcome to EvC
Glad you decided to join us. At the end of this message you will find some links to threads that may make your stay here more enjoyable.
This message is a reply to: | | Message 16 by werechicken, posted 03-14-2006 12:03 PM | | werechicken has replied |
|
werechicken
Inactive Member
|
|
Message 18 of 25 (295222)
03-14-2006 12:12 PM
|
Reply to: Message 17 by AdminJar 03-14-2006 12:09 PM
|
|
Re: Welcome to EvC
thanks, nice to be here
This message is a reply to: | | Message 17 by AdminJar, posted 03-14-2006 12:09 PM | | AdminJar has not replied |
|
Wounded King
Member Posts: 4149 From: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Joined: 04-09-2003
|
Re: Recent Human Evolution
Given the relatively recent development of modern medecine it is far too early to say whether it will in any way reduce change in the human species, and certainly too early to say that it has, it may well affect it but it is premature to suggest we know how it will affect it. At the moment there is no evidence of any peculiar degree of stasis in human DNA, in fact a recent paper in PLOS documented a number of loci which are distinct amongst different populations ( Voight, et al., 2006). TTFN, WK
This message is a reply to: | | Message 16 by werechicken, posted 03-14-2006 12:03 PM | | werechicken has not replied |
Replies to this message: | | Message 20 by RAZD, posted 03-14-2006 7:20 PM | | Wounded King has replied |
|
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1432 days) Posts: 20714 From: the other end of the sidewalk Joined: 03-14-2004
|
Re: Recent Human Evolution
In fact there is evidence of evolution going at an accellerated pace in humans compared to other species -- due to sexual selection and\or due to pushing into\creating new environments. Recent articles: PLoS-Biology Journal, A Map of Recent Positive Selection in the Human Genome Showing evolution in three different branches and PLoS-Biology Journal, Clues to Our Past: Mining the Human Genome for Signs of Recent Selection a shorter, more readable review of the same information. One interesting thought is that if we are the fastest evolvingin species, then how do we recognize "macro"evolution? Join the effort to unravel {AIDS\HIV} with Team EvC! (click)
we are limited in our ability to understand by our ability to understand
RebelAAmerican.Zen[Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ... to share.
|
Wounded King
Member Posts: 4149 From: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Joined: 04-09-2003
|
|
Message 21 of 25 (295424)
03-15-2006 4:14 AM
|
Reply to: Message 20 by RAZD 03-14-2006 7:20 PM
|
|
Re: Recent Human Evolution
Recent articles: PLoS-Biology Journal, A Map of Recent Positive Selection in the Human Genome Showing evolution in three different branches I'm not quite sure why you replied to me referencing exactly the same paper I was referencing in the first place. I'm also not sure that the paper supports your contention about an accelerated rate of evolutionover other species, certainly neither the paper nor the precis article seem to state this. What comparable studies on other species were you thinking of? TTFN, WK This message has been edited by Wounded King, 15-Mar-2006 09:36 AM
This message is a reply to: | | Message 20 by RAZD, posted 03-14-2006 7:20 PM | | RAZD has replied |
Replies to this message: | | Message 22 by RAZD, posted 03-15-2006 7:52 PM | | Wounded King has replied |
|
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1432 days) Posts: 20714 From: the other end of the sidewalk Joined: 03-14-2004
|
Re: Recent Human Evolution
... referencing exactly the same paper I was referencing in the first place. oops. (throws out new glasses, gets old pair). My bad, just found it by other means and was looking for a thread to drop it on.
What comparable studies on other species were you thinking of? I was also thinking about the study that showed an higher rate of evolution in humans than in chimpanzees. Of course if they used all the genetic differences in humans against all the ones in the chimps since divergence, then the data may be a little confused by the data from this study. http://www.newsroom.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/display.cgi?id=875
"During the same amount of time, humans accumulated more genetic novelties than chimpanzees, making the human/chimpanzee genetic distance larger than that between the chimpanzee and gorilla." This PLoS study does talk to increased pressure to evolve due to spreading into new environments and adapting to new (pathological) conditions. Join the effort to unravel {AIDS\HIV} with Team EvC! (click)
we are limited in our ability to understand by our ability to understand
RebelAAmerican.Zen[Deist
... to learn ... to think ... to live ... to laugh ... to share.
|
Wounded King
Member Posts: 4149 From: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Joined: 04-09-2003
|
|
Message 23 of 25 (295832)
03-16-2006 6:26 AM
|
Reply to: Message 22 by RAZD 03-15-2006 7:52 PM
|
|
Re: Recent Human Evolution
This PLoS study does talk to increased pressure to evolve due to spreading into new environments and adapting to new (pathological) conditions. Its quite a leap from this to humans being the 'fastest evolving species'. That diveregence research appears to be based solely upon the number of ALU repeat insertions. There are any number of other possible metrics which give quite different answers, for instance chimps have 300 new pseudogenes as opposed to 200 in humans since divergence. TTFN, WK
This message is a reply to: | | Message 22 by RAZD, posted 03-15-2006 7:52 PM | | RAZD has not replied |
|
generaljoe
Inactive Member
|
|
Message 24 of 25 (298249)
03-26-2006 7:18 AM
|
|
|
1) well as fair as DNA complication goes i believe that one is handed over to centipede's. They have something like 40ploid structure compaired to human diploid (they have 20 times more DNA in other words) 2)as far as as good as it gets, nah there are far more amazing creatures out there than us, physically, instinctively, but not intelligently. our DNA has one strength which makes us far far superior than any other organism (yet it makes you think we also had no super predators such as dinosaurs like T-rex or Alleosaurous chasing us and perhaps we would have relied more on instinct than intelligence, if there were super predators we would have a very slim chance to embrace our intelligence.) 3) as far as DNA change, it takes millions of years anyways, but ours will change dramatically as an effect of genetic engineering, our will to play god in our world, will destroy mother nature. (but perhaps not in time for us to pollute the plant or move to another one)
|
Dubious Drewski
Member (Idle past 2558 days) Posts: 73 From: Alberta Joined: 02-04-2006
|
|
Message 25 of 25 (299594)
03-30-2006 1:29 PM
|
Reply to: Message 1 by Mespo 01-18-2006 4:35 PM
|
|
As was already stated, "most complicated" does not neccesarily equal "best". And I would not say that we are biologically "as good as it gets". There are many areas we could be improved upon. (Stronger immune system, more accurate eyes, Gills? etc) I will be interested in (and scared of) the human gene experimentation we might see in the future. I believe it will start with simple things, like modifying DNA to create stronger immune systems. It may or may not build up from there. (Blue-skinned fellow with telescopic eyes? It might happen...)
This message is a reply to: | | Message 1 by Mespo, posted 01-18-2006 4:35 PM | | Mespo has not replied |
|