Tag: convergent evolution
“Surprising” Convergent Genetic Evolution in Insects
What are the odds that two genes would independently converge on a similar DNA sequence?
Convergent Genetic Evolution in Lichen Species
Now what are the odds of this?
Science Article Acknowledges Convergent Similarity Is “Contrary to Expectations” of Neo-Darwinism
The problem now is that in a Darwinian world, evolution is supposed to be blind to future needs. This kind of data almost sounds like evolution is being directed to evolve the same complex trait over and over again. That doesn’t fit with unguided Darwinian processes
Common Design in Bat and Whale Echolocation Genes?
Last year I wrote about how convergent genetic evolution is highly unlikely under neo-Darwinism, but makes perfect sense if you allow common design. An article in ScienceDaily titled “In Bats and Whales, Convergence in Echolocation Ability Runs Deep,” points to evidence that, in my opinion, might be best explained by common design. According to the standard mammalian phylogeny, the common ancestor of bats and whales was not capable of echolocation. Thus, the ability to echolocate must have evolved independently, and bat and whale echolocation is often cited by evolutionists as a textbook example of convergent evolution. However, the ScienceDaily article reports that these similarities are not just phenotypic but extend down into the level of the gene sequences: two new Read More ›
Implications of Genetic Convergent Evolution for Common Descent
In the previous post, I discussed a recent paper in Trends in Genetics, “Causes and evolutionary significance of genetic convergence,” which notes that that genetic convergence is not uncommon, even though only a “restricted number of substitutions” at the genetic level can create novel phenotypic traits. This data not only shows that functional genotypes are rare, but it also poses a much deeper problem for evolutionary thinking–one that challenges the very basis for constructing phylogenetic trees. The main assumption behind evolutionary trees is that functional genetic similarity implies inheritance from a common ancestor. But “convergent” genetic evolution shows that there are many instances where functional similarity is not the result of inheritance from a common ancestor. So when we find Read More ›