-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- http://www.polenth.demon.co.uk/misc/shift.html On genetic shifting, possibilities and problems by Mokele-mbembe One of the longest running questions on AHWW has been the origin and cause of therianthropy. There have been several theories over time, some physical, some psychological, others spiritual. In this essay I shall address the former two, as the spiritual is beyond the realm of science. Because of this, I will be unable to prove anything, due to the fact that spiritual explanations can rarely be proven or disproven. I can, however, expose the merits and shortcomings of the other two, primarily the first, on various topics relating to inheritance and physical shapeshifting. Part I - Physical shapeshifting. The ability to physically shapeshift has long been the dream of many a therianthrope, but, unfortunately, one which has been mostly unattainable. A few weres report that certain physical characteristics, such a eye color, will change when they have an exceptional mental shift, but by and large physical shifting is at the very best extremely difficult, at worst all but impossible. Many facets of perceived physical shifting can be explained by physiological changes, often hormonal. If indeed hormonal factors did play a part, I would chiefly suspect adrenaline or other similar hormones. For instance, in a post to AHWW one were wrote that when he experienced physical shapeshifting in his dreams, the feelings would last after he woke up. These sensations included increased body temperature, an unusual feeling in his head, teeth, and skin. These could be a result of the body pumping out adrenaline during an exceptionally vivid dream. However I am more inclined to pursue a mental cause. While in the dream, the individual experienced sensations that were totally realistic. When awakened, the individual experienced some residual sensations. It is possible that there are biological mechanisms for the production of such hormones in the level necessary to cause the above listed effects. Hence, this particular aspect of therianthropy may or may not be genetically based. There has been considerable discussion on the possibility of using genetic engineering and gene therapy to induce an artificial shift. Although this is possible, it is very unlikely and very complicated. The main complication is that the shift is artificial in nature, hence the body is not designed to accommodate the process. To be direct, it is possible, with current genetic engineering technology, to induce an artificial shift into a certain phenotype. This is enabled by the fact that most living things are very similar in genetic structure. A human has 92% the same DNA as a bacteria, because all this is needed to maintain life at the biochemical and cellular levels. This is the genetic template for a living thing, without which no life can exist. Mutations to this code cause cancer or the death of the mutated cell. The remaining 8% is what makes a wolf different from a human and a human different from a beetle. The mechanics of the artificial shift are relatively complex but I will discuss them in brief to contrast them to a natural or biological shift. The most likely way to induce an artificial shift is to create a RNA retrovirus to implant the genes necessary for the other phenotype. A RNA retrovirus works by entering the cell, and releasing a RNA fragment along with the enzyme reverse transcriptase. Normally messenger RNA, mRNA, is produced in the nucleus of the cell by transcribing itself from the section of DNA needed to produce a protein. It is then read by translational RNA, tRNA, with the aid of ribosomal RNA, rRNA. These work together in the cell structures known as ribosomes to produce a sequence of amino acids that form a protein. The viral RNA fragment and reverse transcriptase reverse the first step, altering the cell's DNA in the nucleus to conform with the code on the viral RNA. Now the cell will produce the proteins that were coded for in the viral RNA, rather than the normal cellular proteins. These viri are present naturally, and include the HIV virus. Modern geneticists are able to collect or grow RNA retroviri and alter them so they deliver a specialized genetic payload to replace another section of DNA. This has been tried only with small sections of RNA, only a few genes at a time. It is usually used to repair damaged genes that do not produce a certain hormone that they should. To my knowledge, nobody has ever tried to use gene therapy to induce a morphological change in an animal. In contrast, animals like butterflies are able to shapeshift, or, as it is more commonly called, metamorphose. This is done relatively simply. The organism contains all the genes for all the proteins of each form, some are simply "switched off". As the organism grows, the level of certain hormones increase, and eventually reach the concentration which signals that the animal is ready to change. When this happens, special proteins activate the genetic switches on the genes, causing the organism to stop the production of certain proteins and start making others. However, the change is a gradual process, taking days or even weeks, depending on the size of the organism and the magnitude of the change. To put it bluntly, unless the organism has the entire genome of its other form, it cannot change naturally, from a genetic standpoint. Alteration of the genetic code is a possibility, but the fact remains that the human body is not meant to metamorphose, and as such the mechanics for such changes are lacking. True, it is possible to simulate or artificially create the mechanics and stimuli for a physical shapeshift, but the process would be uncertain at best, with a distinct possibility that something could go wrong. If this happened, if just a few cells never were modified or the rate of change isn't just right, the results would be 100% lethal, and totally irreversible. Not only that, but this still does not make us therianthropes, just people who want the gene therapy. Overall, it is possible to use gene therapy to shift, but it would be expensive, hazardous, and irreversible. There is, however, another possibility. Perhaps it is not tricks of the mind or hormones, nor an artificial method. It is entirely possible that we are genetically different from the rest of the human species, a mutation that has the biochemical mechanics necessary to shapeshift. Such a thing is well within the realm of possibility, as I will explain. As I mentioned previously, the human genome is about 92% basic genes necessary for life. The remaining genes account for all the diversity of life as we know it, not only animals, but plants, fungi and microorganisms. There is a less than 3% difference between all mammal species. However, it is important to remember that not all of the DNA strand is used, and there are large sections, called introns, with no known purpose. There are also turned-off genes, unused relics from our past evolution. It may be possible that in this mostly useless DNA there is the genome of our alternate form, along with a few minor genetic changes allowing our bodies to set up the biomechanics necessary for shapeshifting. However, if this is true, there are several factors which must be accounted for, not the least of which is time needed for transformation. If the ability to physically shapeshift stems from a series of genes, there are many occurrences, both as causes and effects of the shifting, that would be noticeable. The most important of these is the time it takes to transform. As I noted before, insects metamorphose naturally, but it takes time to complete the change. The time it takes to complete such a change depends mostly on the number of cells in the organism. The smaller the organism, the faster the change. There is also the factor of energy. To shapeshift or metamorphose requires a tremendous amount of energy. Even if the human or shapeshifter genome carried the mechanics and genes to physically shapeshift, the metabolic requirements would be enormous. To date there is no research which would provide hard numbers, as such research would immediately be recognized as an effort to prove the possibility of shapeshifting and be reviled by the scientific community. However, to utilize the caterpillar as an example once again, a caterpillar spends almost all of its time from hatching to forming a cocoon either eating or looking for material to eat. Most of these energy stores are used up in the insect's metamorphosis. The energy requirements for shapeshifting a human sized organism would be tremendous. In summary, any form of shapeshifting triggered by genetics, either artificially or naturally, would either be impossible, unfeasible, or a very long, metabolically expensive process. Part 2: hereditary shapeshifting Also, if therianthropy in any form, P-shifting or not, is a genetic condition, most weres would have some relatives with therianthropic tendencies. To determine if this was the case, I conducted a survey of the populace of AHWW, and gathered a total of 26 replies. The majority of weres do appear to have one or more relatives that display traits of therianthropy, however fully a third of them did not. Although there were more therianthropes with relatives who are also weres, the number of weres without therianthropic relatives is so high that it is highly doubtful that therianthropy is a in any way related to genes. If it was a simple dominant trait, most, if not all weres would have therianthropic relatives, and if it was simple recessive, most weres would still have 1 or 2 relatives that are weres. If the trait was polygenic (genes carried on more than one chromosome with all the chromosomes needed for full expression of the genes) then most therianthropes would be hard pressed to think of a therianthropic relative. Because there was both a large number with and without relatives who display therianthropic traits, I was unable to match the inheritances given to any configuration of genes. In short, although it cannot be absolutely refuted without full-scale DNA sequencing of every member of AHWW, it is extremely unlikely that therianthropy is an inherited trait. It is significantly more likely that werecreatures are produced by nurture rather than nature. Part 3: the persistence of faith. Although my findings may seem to refute the possibility of physical shapeshifting, it merely narrows the possible causes. In my opinion, it is most probable that shapeshifting is mostly, if not entirely, a spiritual occurrence. If this does prove to be the case, then shapeshifting is not a matter of proof, but one of faith. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- We are about to go on a Journey. All Aboard http://sites.netscape.net/gsussnzl/poleshift <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soap-boxing! 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