Fishy gene theory reported in Current Biology, vol. 19, p1642 and ScienceNOW 3 Sept 2009. Evolutionary biologists believe that one of the mechanisms of producing new genes is for existing genes to be copied and natural selection to modify the extra gene to have new function while leaving the original to continue its function. An international team of biologists claim to have confirmed this theory in a fish gene named fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (fgfr1) . They started with zebra fish, tiny fast growing fish used a lot in laboratory studies of growth and development, and used chemicals to cause mutations. One of the mutant fish had almost no scales, similar to domestic forms of a fish called mirror carp, which have been bred for easy cleaning. Normal wild mirror carp have large reflective scales. The mutant scale-less fish had a normal fgfr1 gene as well as a mutant gene. Fish with only a mutated version of this gene die during embryonic development. The researchers then looked for duplicate genes in domestic carp and found two types of mutated genes, one with 111 base pairs missing and another with a base substitution. This confirmed that it was the presence of both an intact and mutated gene that led to the scale-less form. The research team concluded: “These findings provide evidence for the role for gene duplication in providing the raw material for generation of morphological diversity.” ScienceNOW is more forthright and claims: “Now researchers have new proof that evolution can work this way.”
Editorial Comment: All these scientists have proven is the messed up extra copies of genes result in messed up fish. These fish have not evolved. They are just degenerate versions of the same species. Losing scales is not an evolutionary gain of structure of function. It is degenerative loss and not useful for the fish. In the wild the fish would be better off having one normal gene than one normal plus one mutated gene. This study is evidence that fish started out with fully functioning genomes and any changes, including duplicates, degrade the system.
Notice again ScienceNOW Editors are wearing Darwin’s Glasses , i.e. they are first accepting that evolution is change, then they are calling all change evolution, then they are accepting any degenerate change in fish genes as proof of evolution, then they are claiming such degenerate change disproves creation. Now be brave enough to take off Darwin’s Glasses . Rather than being evidence for evolution, this study of a degenerate gene supports the concept of created perfection followed by degeneration i.e. the Biblical picture. Evolution by gene duplication is a fishy story, not a scientific fact. (Ref. vertebrates, growth factors, genetics)
Evidence News, 19 Nov 2009