07 March 2006

Scientists Map Genetic Tree of Life

European geneticists tested 36 genes across 191 species to come up with a map of the genetic tree of life.

What is really great is that they have set up the data on a computer so it can be constantly updated as new genes and genomes are sequenced. Over the next 10-20 years we should have a very complete and well-defined genetic tree.

Good thing monitors are getting bigger.

3 comments:

Mark said...

My first thoughts are how is the ID/Creationist crowd going to react? I've got several students writing anti-evolution argument papers and I'm realizing that I have less tolerance for them than the "Now that Iraq is over, let's head for Iran" crowd.

It's sad that I see something amazing like this and I immediately think, "How will they pervert it?"

Wes said...

Mark, you're braver than I. The minute one of those students says "God said," fail that student. It's a grand belief system, but it's not the basis for scientific evidence - and falling back on it shows that student cannot think and write logically.

WF

WestEnder said...

Wes is right. The fundamental issue is that science class is for science, not religion. If a student is going to argue against evolution, he/she must argue that there is a preponderance of evidence supporting another theory. That is the scientific method.

The American Physical Society's statement on what is science may be a helpful.