Genome complexity: de novo or orphan genes (Introduction)

by dhw, Thursday, August 27, 2015, 19:43 (3377 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: Many thanks for some very interesting threads, and in particular for this one. For me it raises the whole image of the macrocosm in the microcosm. If new genes can spring from nowhere and incorporate themselves into existing structures, wouldn't this mirror the whole process of innovation that drives evolution? The Cambrian Mystery is solved if new structures can emerge from nowhere.-DAVID: But your comment does not answer the problem: "Genes from nowhere" are caused by what mechanism? Noting their arrival opens up questions, not answers.
-It does both. It may answer questions about how evolution works. All explanations lead back to an endless chain of causes and effects, but not knowing the cause of something does not invalidate the effect or the subsequent chain of causes and effects. If genes can spring from nowhere, we may have a solution to the Cambrian mystery. The mechanism and its source are different mysteries. 
 
dhw: Theistic evolution? Are you going to tell us that God plans every novel gene? Or might it be that God invented a mechanism that comes up autonomously with an infinite number of novelties? Or might it even be that there is no single mind there at all, but billions of little minds within billions of globules of matter coming up with billions of new combinations? Ah, my friend the intelligent cell....-DAVID: Can intelligence grow from no intelligence? If the first life had intelligence where did it come from, abiogenesis? That is a proposed chance happening.-According to you, intelligence can indeed grow from no intelligence, unless you think God had an intelligent predecessor. No need to go over the “First Cause” cop-out again, as it always ends up with you believing one version of it, and me neither believing nor disbelieving any version.