Re: Can A Duplication Mutation Be Beneficial?
Susan B (susan-brassfield@ou.edu)
Mon, 13 Sep 1999 19:30:43 -0500 (CDT)At 12:15 PM 9/11/99 -0700, Pim wrote:
>>From http://www.cs.colorado.edu/~lindsay/creation/dup_favorable.html
>
>Can A Duplication Mutation Be Beneficial?
>
>Yes. For example:
>
> "A mosquito species called Culex pipiens can now survive massive doses
of organophosphate insecticides. The mosquitoes actually digest the poison,
using a suite of enzymes known as esterases. The genes that make these
esterases are known as alleles B1 and B2. Many strains of Culex pipiens now
carry as many as 250 copies of the B1 allele and 60 copies of B2."
>
> The Beak of the Finch p.254
>
>The mosquitoes acquired B1 and B2 by two mutations. They then acquired the
huge number of copies by duplication mutations. They benefit because the
extra copies cause their bodies to produce extra esterase. Whenever a huge
amount of insecticide is sprayed, mosquitoes that have lots of
>resistance are the most likely to live and reproduce.
>
>Until 1984, California mosquitoes had neither B1 nor B2. They acquired all
those copies in a single decade.
The guidelines rejected by the Kansas schoolboard recommended that all high
school children read "Beak of the Finch." The creationist majority on the
board deleted all reference to the book. The above demonstrates very well
why they did so. The creationists in the board needed to conceal the
information above and the many other examples of evolution the book contains.
Susan
--------
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