More about how evolution works: multicellularity (Evolution)

by dhw, Wednesday, November 04, 2015, 08:52 (3306 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: Multicellularity appeared independently a few times, but genetic studies suggest the genes for it were present in the single cells:-http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/30827/title/From-Simple-To-Complex/-Let me cherry-pick some quotes to point out the possible implications (my bold): -"Choanoflagellates, unicellular organisms that look remarkably similar to the feeding structures of sponges, are the closest living relatives of metazoans. It turns out that they also share a number of genes once thought to be unique to multicellular animals.”
 
"I think that means co-option of ancestral genes into new functions is important for evolutionary innovations like the origin of multicellularity.” -“And we're going to have to explain the origins of multicellularity in terms of changes in the way these gene products interact with each other.”-"In fact, multicellularity is believed to have evolved as many as 25 different times among living species."
 
David's comment: Very long and complex article. Looks like pre-planning to me. The discussion about supposed cooperation and conflict between cells as multicellularity develops makes me wonder what the author was smoking.-That is because you refuse even to consider the 50/50 possibility that cells are intelligent. What is responsible for “coopting” ancestral genes into new functions if not some form of organizing intelligence? If multicellularity evolved 25 different times, which of these is more likely: 1) that the 25 times were all preprogrammed for the sake of producing one species (humans), or 2) different cellular communities interacted and cooperated autonomously to work out different combinations (leading to the vast variety of species extant and extinct)?
 
As far as pre-planning is concerned, here are three more quotes: -“But such transitions are not always smooth, as conflict can arise when selfish mutations result in cheaters that attempt to benefit from the group without contributing their fair share.” -“To defend themselves against such cheating, these new kinds of individuals must evolve mechanisms of conflict mediation.”-“These recurrent mutations in Volvox suggest that “the conflict between the individual cells and the interest of colony may still be going on,” he adds. Such conflict may limit the organism's complexity, as selection on individual cells battles with the whole organism's attempt to survive and reproduce, suggesting that perhaps the evolution of advanced multicellularity wasn't so easy after all.”-Sounds like individual intelligences to me. Why would your God preplan such conflicts if all he wanted to do was create humans? Ah, but you think the researchers have been smoking something, because how could cells possibly be individual and intelligent when the chances are only 50/50 and you happen to know which 50 is correct?