Rapid evolution or epigenetics? (Introduction)

by David Turell , Thursday, March 03, 2011, 19:49 (5014 days ago) @ dhw


> However, you have a more concrete proposition, if I've understood you correctly: the innovative mechanism lies in 'junk' DNA, or possibly in histones, and presumably in the germ cells, which makes perfect sense anyway, since an existing creature is hardly likely suddenly to sprout a new organ. But ... if my interpretation is correct ... you also believe that this same mechanism is pre-programmed to produce innovations when conditions are right. What would be the difference in procedure and outcome between, on the one hand, a UI pre-programming a mechanism within the germ cells to produce the innovations and, on the other, the same mechanism responding to the right conditions and producing the innovations on its own intelligent, inventive initiative?-If the drive to complexity, to advance evolution, is part of the genome complex, and is coded in advance, then we can imagine that it is in direct drive, and must happen, but is coded in bush form, the pattern of the 'tree' we see,. The other way, your descripion, is under less control, relies more on itself, and is more likely to make mistakes, and automatically will be in bush form. However, we do not know if the evolution of the Earth, adding water, adding plasmatismals, adding atmosphere, having continental plate movement and subduction, etc. is under control or on its own. If on its own even a very guided evolution may make mistakes, not timing itself with geologic changes. Since I propose a UI, I think my proposal for the evolutionary mechanism is more likely. But either way, evolution gets to where we are.