Barry,
Thanks for the links. Even though epigenetics was suspected for many years
it has only been demonstrated in several research studies since 2003 -- the
first draft of the Human Genome Project (HGP). Before then it would
well-nigh impossible for researchers to get funding for what seemed to be
a Lamarckian (anti-Darwinian) idea. But it's not Lamarckian and it's an
add-on to Darwinian theory rather than a displacement. The flowering of the
subject only started to come about because of the HGP shock of discovering
that we only had about 25,000 genes instead of the 100,000 plus that many
were expecting. Thus, in order to produce the wealth of proteins in our
bodies (at least 100,000) and the wealth of our abilities and behaviours,
then genes were not acting as single units but in combinations. And it's
also the combinations, as well as genes, which are handed down. Not only
that, but the combinations can change somewhat in the pre-puberty years of
a boy (that is, his germ-line cells can change slightly before they start
making sperm). (In the case of a girl, her germ-line cells have already
produced a full crop of eggs before birth and thus they can't be modified.
As she grows up her own body cells will be making epigenetic adaptations
but they won't be handed on because her eggs are already sealed.)
Keith
Keith
At 11:13 26/12/2010 -0500, you wrote:
Given recent discussions of epigenetics, I thought I'd forward these two
links. The first is a very brief summary of research reported at the second.
Barry
<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101223130149.htm>http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101223130149.htm
http://www.cell.com/retrieve/pii/S0092867410014261#Summary
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Keith Hudson, Saltford, England
<http://allisstatus.wordpress.com/2010/12/>http://allisstatus.wordpress.com/2010/12/
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