Genome complexity: orphan genes have functions (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, April 11, 2020, 14:57 (1476 days ago) @ dhw

QUOTE: De novo genes “represent a really unprecedented or unrivaled kind of genetic novelty,” said Caroline Weisman, a doctoral student in biophysics at Harvard University who is conducting research into the origin of genes. “That’s a really exciting possibility for evolutionary biologists who are thinking about how things like novelty evolve.”

dhw: Exciting indeed, to think that cell communities can produce novelties. A theist could easily believe that his God created all this complex machinery to enable cells to work out their individual ways of evolving. A very reasonable alternative to Genesis, wouldn’t you say?

DAVID: It doesn't follow Darwin and cell communities are not mentioned. Since it is not common descent, what is it? And it not creating speciation. It is not an alternative to Genesis.

dhw: I’m simply examining possible implications. You don’t need me to tell you that genes don’t exist independently of cells, and all multicellular organisms are composed of cells/cell communities! Speciation requires novelty, and since novelty has so far not been explained, it’s hardly surprising that our excited evolutionary biologists think they may be onto something. God is not mentioned either, but you will notice that I have included him in my speculations.

You never seem to realize how your imagined view of God diminishes Him. I can't think of a true theist who thinks as you imagine: "A theist could easily believe that his God created all this complex machinery to enable cells to work out their individual ways of evolving." God has done that only in a small way, epigenetic alterations for minor adaptions. Major gaps (think whales) are a marvelous way of revealing the intricate design problems solved in the whale series.