Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

PLOS paper admits to nonrandom mutation in evolution

Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
Email

Abstract: “Mutations drive evolution and were assumed to occur by chance: constantly, gradually, roughly uniformly in genomes, and without regard to environmental inputs, but this view is being revised by discoveries of molecular mechanisms of mutation in bacteria, now translated across the tree of life. These mechanisms reveal a picture of highly regulated mutagenesis, up-regulated temporally by stress responses and activated when cells/organisms are maladapted to their environments—when stressed—potentially accelerating adaptation. Mutation is also nonrandom in genomic space, with multiple simultaneous mutations falling in local clusters, which may allow concerted evolution—the multiple changes needed to adapt protein functions and protein machines encoded by linked genes. Molecular mechanisms of stress-inducible mutation change ideas about evolution and suggest different ways to model and address cancer development, infectious disease, and evolution generally.” (open access) – Fitzgerald DM, Rosenberg SM (2019) What is mutation? A chapter in the series: How microbes “jeopardize”the modern synthesis. PloS Genet 15(4): e1007995. https://doi.org/10.1371/ journal.pgen.1007995 More.

Maybe it’s kind of like admitting to guilt. How is it all organized that way?

Hasn’t Lee Spetner been saying this for ages? See The Evolution Revolution.

A scout suggests they should call it Exponential Serendipity, to avoid any suggestion of design.

See also: Pre-existing genes a more likely cause of herbicide resistance than new mutations. It sounds as though the necessary evolution occurred a long time ago and that a Darwinian process just isn’t happening now. But they are not likely allowed to discuss it that way.

Follow UD News at Twitter!

Comments
@5 Brother Brian: 'When they talk about random they are talking about random with respect to fitness.' Broaden your horizons. 'Evolution is true, but are mutations really random?' ... 'So the assumption that genetic mutations are random has, strictly speaking, no empirical basis. Its motivation is merely subjective: many cannot fathom any plausible mechanism that could impart a pattern on the mutations themselves. Compelling as this may sound, lack of imagination and a subjective sense of plausibility aren’t valid reasons to pronounce scientific facts'. https://www.bernardokastrup.com/2019/08/evolution-is-true-but-are-mutations.html?m=1Truthfreedom
January 14, 2020
January
01
Jan
14
14
2020
03:39 PM
3
03
39
PM
PDT
“Although many mechanisms of stress-inducible mutation have been identified in the past two decades, these are likely to be the tip of the iceberg.” Just “the tip of the iceberg”? Oh no!!!OLV
May 31, 2019
May
05
May
31
31
2019
06:10 PM
6
06
10
PM
PDT
Whether random or not, do they have a valid explanation for the origin of the prokaryotic or the eukaryotic cells? I haven’t seen it, but maybe I missed the memo? :)OLV
May 31, 2019
May
05
May
31
31
2019
05:25 PM
5
05
25
PM
PDT
“Mutations drive evolution and were assumed to occur by chance: constantly, gradually, roughly uniformly in genomes, and without regard to environmental inputs,
I’m surprised the first sentence of the OP got past the reviewers. We have long known that certain parts of the genome have higher mutation rates than others. When they talk about random they are talking about random with respect to fitness. And the statement about them being without regard to environmental inputs is just plain wrong. Are you sure this research isn’t funded by the tobacco, chemical or tanning salon industries?Brother Brian
May 31, 2019
May
05
May
31
31
2019
04:34 PM
4
04
34
PM
PDT
“Mutations drive evolution and were assumed to occur by chance: constantly, gradually, roughly uniformly in genomes, and without regard to environmental inputs, but this view is being revised by discoveries of molecular mechanisms of mutation in bacteria, now translated across the tree of life
Not a good start. Even Darwin allowed that evolution, although gradual, would proceed at different rates at different times. As for a uniform distribution of mutations throughout the genome, I remember reading about mutational "hotspots" a few years back. It sounds like this paper is beginning by setting up something of a strawman.
These mechanisms reveal a picture of highly regulated mutagenesis, up-regulated temporally by stress responses and activated when cells/organisms are maladapted to their environments—when stressed—potentially accelerating adaptation.
Regulated mutagenesis? How? How does the organism recognize it is under stress? Assuming it does, how does it translate that information into the instructions necessary to "up-regulate" mutagenesis to as to increase the chances of generating an adaptive mutation or even the instructions needed to generate a specific mutation? Is it the authors contention that organisms like bacteria are conscious of themselves and their environment?
Mutation is also nonrandom in genomic space, with multiple simultaneous mutations falling in local clusters, which may allow concerted evolution—the multiple changes needed to adapt protein functions and protein machines encoded by linked genes.
Mutation hotspots Seversky
May 31, 2019
May
05
May
31
31
2019
03:30 PM
3
03
30
PM
PDT
Oh no!!! :)OLV
May 31, 2019
May
05
May
31
31
2019
01:01 PM
1
01
01
PM
PDT
this PLOS article is not a rare case. In 2018, in Vienna, there was a mainstream conference on virus evolution, the following was the official announcement, from NATURE.COM, (Beware! This is very strong) "For more than half a century it has been accepted that new genetic information is mostly derived from random‚ error-based’ events. Now it is recognized that errors cannot explain genetic novelty and complexity. Empirical evidence establishes the crucial role of non-random genetic content editors such as viruses and RNA-networks to create genetic novelty, complex regulatory control, inheritance vectors, genetic identity, immunity, new sequence space, evolution of complex organisms and evolutionary transitions. This new empirically based perspective on the evolution of genetic novelty will have more explanatory power in the future than the „error-replication“ narrative of the last century." https://www.nature.com/natureevents/science/events/57615-EVOLUTION_Genetic_Novelty_Genomic_Variations_by_RNA_Networks_and_Virusesmartin_r
May 31, 2019
May
05
May
31
31
2019
11:35 AM
11
11
35
AM
PDT
RM + NS = BS Andrewasauber
May 31, 2019
May
05
May
31
31
2019
10:23 AM
10
10
23
AM
PDT

Leave a Reply