Evolution Question..........?

Question

I heard that it is impossible to add new stuff to the gene pool. But for evolution to work, for things to evolve, new stuff must be added to the gene pool. I don't understand? How does it work?

Answer 1

The only people who say "it is impossible to add new stuff to the gene pool" are Creationists who either (a) don't know squat about Genetics 101 (and, e.g., have apparently never heard of gene duplication or frameshift mutations); or (b) are flat-out lying to you.

*Of course* it's possible to add new stuff to the gene pool!

If the world's flu viruses develop immunity to a flu shot (which is why we need a new flu shot every year) the genes that convey this immunity have to come from somewhere!   It doesn't matter if you say it is plasmids or some sort of DNA exchange with other viruses or even host cells, that is still adding something to their genomes.   But eventually, the specific sequences of DNA that produce the immunity had to come from somewhere.  If not mutation, then where?

To insist (as some Creationists do) that it is all just *pre-existing DNA* is to insist that all viruses were Created by the Creator at the time of Creation and contained somewhere in their genome the immunity to all antivirals or vaccinations that would ever be invented by man ... long before man invented antivirals or vaccinations!  It is to claim that the collective genome of all viruses aroung today, contain all the code they need for immunity to all antivirals and vaccinations that will ever be invented in the future by man ... *including ones that haven't been invented yet*!  

Anyone who believes that is just clinging to desperate anti-science as a shield for a very fragile faith.

For a *clear* example of a something added to a gene pool ... consider the case of the bacterium discovered in Japan in the waste pond near a factory, that has developed the ability to digest *nylon*!   Not only are they able to trace the enzyme that allows this to a specific mutation (a frameshift mutation), but since nylon is a substance that did not even exist until humans invented it in 1935, this is *undeniably* something "new" added to the genome of the bacterium.

Answer 2

One mechanism is "gene duplication", which is where a gene is accidentally copied twice.

Sinc ehter are now two versions of the gene, they can each change down different paths - meaning there will be two traits where there used to be one.

Sometimes the entire genome is duplicated (by chromosomal nondisjunction) - this happens all the time in plants, and is called "polyploidy". Since you now have two versions of *every* gene (which can diverge evolutionarily), you have twice the "information" you started with.

Answer 3

"Biologists are uncovering thousands of examples of how mutations lead to new traits and even new species."

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/life...

"By any reasonable definition, increases in information have been observed to evolve."

http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CB/CB...

Please read the articles, not just my quotes....

Answer 4

Don

If you are going to quote the new Scientist article, do it honestly. The article is about Creationism Myths and makes the exact opposite point of what you suggest

Evolution myths: Mutations can only destroy information

18:00 16 April 2008