|
BVZ -> RE: "Where is your evidence?" (11/2/2007 4:15:29 AM)
|
quote:
ORIGINAL: unclemonkey
ORIGINAL: Method quote:
As to your challenge, endogenous retroviruses (ERV's) are a prime example.
That has been answered.
"In any event, not all ERVs are nonfunctional. Some are transcriptionally active, and studies have revealed ERV protein expression in humans. (Sverdlov, 1.) We simply do not know all that ERVs (or other transposons) may be doing in an organism or what roles they may have played in the past. Sverdlov writes:
[S]ometimes the hosts exploit the capacity of TEs [transposable elements] to generate variations for their own benefit. The retroelements can come out as traveling donors of sequence motifs for nucleosome positioning, DNA methylation, transcriptional enhancers, poly(A) addition sequences, splice sites, and even amino acid codons for incorporation into open reading frames of encoded proteins.
The number of described cases in which retroelement sequences confer useful traits to the host is growing. Retropositions can therefore be considered as a major pacemaker of the evolution that continues to change our genomes. In particular HERV [human endogenous retrovirus] elements could interact with human genome through (i) expression of retroviral genes, (ii) human genome loci rearrangement following the retroposition of the HERVs or (iii) the capacity of LTRs [long terminal repeats that are common to ERVs] to regulate nearby genes. A plethora of solitary LTRs comprises a variety of transcriptional regulatory elements, such as promoters, enhancers, hormone-responsive elements, and polyadenylation signals. Therefore the LTRs are potentially able to cause significant changes in expression patterns of neighboring genes. (Sverdlov, 1-2.)
The functionality of ERV LTRs is suggested by the fact some elements within them are highly conserved. This means that “[t]here probably exists a kind of selection protecting the elements from mutational erosion. . . . It supports the idea that the LTRs (and perhaps other TEs) are of importance for some genomic purposes.” (Sverdlov, 5.) The bottom line is that “[w]e do not know how important the involvement of LTRs is in genome functioning.” (Sverdlov, 5.)
Of course, if ERV sequences have a function, then God may have had a functional reason for initially placing them at the same chromosomal location in separately created species. He also may have had a functional reason for designing a system to favor the insertion of certain ERV sequences at certain loci. In other words, maybe retroviruses are a corruption of an original complex system that was designed to facilitate diversification within kinds (per Wood). What was designed as an “altruistic genetic element,” now shows only vestiges of that original benevolent purpose. In that case, the fact ERVs (and other transposons) now have mostly deleterious effects is because the original system has degenerated as a result of the Fall, not because they arose by random processes."
I would say that puts this "evidence for evolution" in the class of "overzealous misinterpretation of the evidence".
Chimps and humans share 200000 ERV's. THIS ALONE IS ENOUGH TO PROVE COMMON DESCENT.
But there is more: Not only do we share 200000, but those we DON'T share, form a nested hierarchy! THIS ALONE IS ENOUGH TO PROVE COMMON DESCENT.
But there is more: The nested hierarchy built based on ERV's, match up with nested hierarchies build using other methods. THIS ALONE IS ENOUGH TO PROVE COMMON DESCENT.
Your response to this? Some ERV's have been coopted in such a way that they have a function in the Human genome. Okay. So what? Explain to me (in detail please) how this changes anything?
|
|
|
|