| Author |
Message
|
| JaneBennet |
 Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 3:20 pm Post subject: Merging bacteria species reverse evolution |
 |
|
Forum Ph.D.
Joined: 06 Apr 2008
Posts: 878
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
| KALSTER |
| Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 4:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Forum Cosmic Wizard
Joined: 08 Sep 2007
Posts: 2222
Location: South Africa
|
When I read this, all sorts of possibilities ran through my (uneducated) head. This gene swapping thing has been observed before (or maybe even frequently), viruses routinely carry genetic material of their targets around, etc. Just out of curiosity, has any fossils been found of animals appearing after some extinction event that suspiciously look like a mix between two or more others (I know this is crazy, and probably naĂŻve)? Has it ever been found with the new gene comparison methods that some confusing genes show up in animals from other lineages that diverged a long time ago? Would we even be able to recognize such genes?
PS: I would not be offended by a brutal flaming 
_________________
"Gullibility kills" - Carl Sagan
As jy dom is, moet jy kak. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| icewendigo |
| Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Forum Senior
Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 379
|
| If some bacterias of the said species somewhere in the world have not reverted then I would assume this is one more speciation in which one branch reverts back to characteristics similar to what it was before(I would be surprised if the genetic code would be the exact same as it was in the original species). But if the point is to show that if the environment changes by reverting back to what it was before, then I would find reasonable that a species develop characteristics that are functionally similar to what they were before. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| sunshinewarrior |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 4:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
Forum Ph.D.
Joined: 26 Sep 2007
Posts: 1019
Location: London
|
"If Falush is right, then different niches may play a crucial role in speciation in bacteria, just as they do in higher organisms."
I do wish they'd stop using terms like 'higher organisms'. Even in biology they have no technical meaning or use do they? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| Ophiolite |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:52 am Post subject: |
|
|
Forum Radioactive Isotope
Joined: 25 Jul 2005
Posts: 4804
Location: Scotland
|
| sunshinewarrior wrote: |
| I do wish they'd stop using terms like 'higher organisms'. Even in biology they have no technical meaning or use do they? |
Well, a giraffe is higher than an armadillo. 
_________________
The Universe is not only weirder than we imagine it is weirder than we can imagine. J.B.S.Haldane. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| sunshinewarrior |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
Forum Ph.D.
Joined: 26 Sep 2007
Posts: 1019
Location: London
|
| Ophiolite wrote: |
| sunshinewarrior wrote: |
| I do wish they'd stop using terms like 'higher organisms'. Even in biology they have no technical meaning or use do they? |
Well, a giraffe is higher than an armadillo. |
But if bacteria are travelling through space as per panspermia wouldn't they have the highest status?  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| free radical |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 10:49 am Post subject: |
|
|
Forum Masters Degree
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 525
|
Higher only has meaning within a gravitational context so no.
Arthur Dent was at times as highly developed as birds. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| free radical |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 10:51 am Post subject: Re: Merging bacteria species reverse evolution |
|
|
Forum Masters Degree
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 525
|
Surely it makes no sense to talk about reverse evolution. It is established that evolution is not inherently directional. De-speciation is better, and taht HGT is increased so dramatically in this case is quite interesting |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
| KALSTER |
| Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:07 am Post subject: |
|
|
Forum Cosmic Wizard
Joined: 08 Sep 2007
Posts: 2222
Location: South Africa
|
| Quote: |
| Surely it makes no sense to talk about reverse evolution. It is established that evolution is not inherently directional. De-speciation is better, and taht HGT is increased so dramatically in this case is quite interesting |
It was a New Scientist article, though. (pop science mag) I guess "reverse evolution" in the title sounds better than simply using "de-speciation"?
_________________
"Gullibility kills" - Carl Sagan
As jy dom is, moet jy kak. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
