NeoDarwinian Review

“Most antibiotic resistance genes in bacteria are in mobile genetic elements and acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT)” Article :”Antimicrobial Resistance,” by Michael Milgroom, Biology of Infectious Disease (11/23) Introduction Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is the ability of microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, to survive and thrive in the presence of antimicrobial agents that were once effective in killing or stopping their growth. AMR is a growing global public health threat that is estimated to cause 10 million deaths annually by 2050 if no action is taken. Causes of AMR The main causes of AMR is the horizontal gene transport of transposable elements (so called Junk DNA) not neo darwinian random mutations. This occurs through the misuse and overuse of antimicrobial agents. This includes the use of antibiotics in humans and animals for non-therapeutic purposes, such as low-dose antibiotics in animal feed to promote growth. It also includ...

Study "Phylogenomics Reveals High Levels of Incomplete Lineage Sorting at the Ancestral Nodes of the Macaque Radiation" by Liu et al. (2023): Unveiling the developmental Tapestry of Macaques: A Phylogenomic Perspective The genus Macaca encompasses 23 diverse primate species, collectively representing the most successful example of adaptive radiation among nonhuman primates. Their expansive geographic distribution and remarkable ecological adaptability have long captivated the scientific community. However, deciphering the intricate web of relationships among these species has proven to be a formidable challenge. In a groundbreaking study published in the esteemed journal Molecular Biology and Evolution, Liu et al. (2023) harnessed the power of phylogenomics to unravel the developmental enigma of macaques. They meticulously analyzed a vast trove of genomic data, encompassing 16 newly sequenced macaque genomes and 8 previously published ones. Their comprehensive ...

Correlation and causation are two important concepts in science, and they are often confused with each other. Correlation refers to the relationship between two variables, while causation refers to the one-way relationship between two variables where one variable causes the other variable to change. In evolution, correlation and causation are used to explain how organisms change over time. Correlation can be used to identify relationships between different traits of organisms, such as the size of an organism's wings and its ability to fly. However, correlation does not necessarily mean causation. For example, there is a correlation between the size of an organism's brain and its intelligence, but this does not mean that a larger brain causes intelligence. Causation in evolution is usually explained by natural selection. Natural selection is the process by which organisms with traits that make them better suited to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, pass...

“Human and Chimp Brains Differ in Non-Coding Regulatory DNA,” Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (10/21) Human and chimpanzee brains share a remarkable degree of similarity, with approximately 98% of our (exonic) DNA sequences being identical. Yet, despite this close genetic kinship, our brains exhibit profound differences in size, structure, and function, underpinning the remarkable cognitive abilities that distinguish us as a species. While protein-coding genes have long been considered the primary drivers of these evolutionary changes, recent studies have revealed a critical role for non-coding regulatory DNA in shaping brain development and function. Non-coding DNA, once dismissed as "Junk DNA," encompasses the vast majority of our genome and plays a crucial role in regulating gene expression. These regulatory elements, such as enhancers and promoters, control when, where, and how much genes are turned on or off, orchestrating complex gene expression...

"In terms of junk DNA, we don’t use that term anymore because I think it was pretty much a case of hubris to imagine that we could dispense with any part of the genome, as if we knew enough to say it wasn’t functional. … Most of the genome that we used to think was there for spacer turns out to be doing stuff .” - Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project Until the Human Genome Project, scientists primarily used coding exonic DNA for common ancestry studies. Coding exonic DNA, which makes up about 2% of the human genome, is the DNA that is directly translated into proteins.  Because coding exonic DNA is relatively well conserved across different species this makes it a valuable tool for tracing common ancestry… or so we thought. The use of non-coding (Junk) DNA (ncDNA) in common ancestry studies has been a topic of debate in recent years. While ncDNA was initially thought to be largely non-functional, it is now recognized that it plays a number of impo...