Chimps 'more evolved' than humans

[popopot]

It doesn't make sense to me

Surely genetic mutations in a smaller population will spread faster than they will in a larger population, so natural selection will have a stronger effect overall.

*I think he'd have been better served by writing 'lower levels of' instead of 'random fluctuations in'.

What the author probably means there is that because of the smaller population of humans, there will be lower levels of the number of alleles to interact with a compatible allele, from the other parent, which can then result in a mutation. This will thus inhibit evolution by natural selection.

Put simply, less offspring = less chance of a mutation = less chance of an evolutionary leap.

I thought alleles don't interact or 'look' for compatibility because their expression depends on dominance, where the dominant allele will infer its trait on the individuals phenotype. Only when its double recessive can the alleles be considered to be interacting, which in most causes results in disease - except being blond....is that a disease?!

[manker]

*I think he'd have been better served by writing 'lower levels of' instead of 'random fluctuations in'.

What the author probably means there is that because of the smaller population of humans, there will be lower levels of the number of alleles to interact with a compatible allele, from the other parent, which can then result in a mutation. This will thus inhibit evolution by natural selection.

Put simply, less offspring = less chance of a mutation = less chance of an evolutionary leap.

I thought alleles don't interact or 'look' for compatibility because their expression depends on dominance, where the dominant allele will infer its trait on the individuals phenotype. Only when its double recessive can the alleles be considered to be interacting, which in most causes results in disease - except being blond....is that a disease?!

Well, if pairing to a certain locus on the chromosomes and establishing dominance can be considered 'interacting' then I guess the alleles interact initially - which is what I was getting at. Not subsequently tho', I grant you.



I love the irony of the blonde/blue eyes double recessive gene, which as you say would indicate weakness in most cases, being the genetic trait of choice of the Nazis.

[popopot]

I thought alleles don't interact or 'look' for compatibility because their expression depends on dominance, where the dominant allele will infer its trait on the individuals phenotype. Only when its double recessive can the alleles be considered to be interacting, which in most causes results in disease - except being blond....is that a disease?!

Well, if pairing to a certain locus on the chromosomes and establishing dominance can be considered 'interacting' then I guess the alleles interact initially - which is what I was getting at. Not subsequently tho', I grant you.

Okay, I see now.

I love the irony of the blonde/blue eyes double recessive gene, which as you say would indicate weakness in most cases, being the genetic trait of choice of the Nazis.

Indeed, and of which Hitler was neither.

[Biggles]

From: http://www.newscientist.com/article/...an-humans.html

It is time to stop thinking we are the pinnacle of evolutionary success – chimpanzees are the more highly evolved species, according to new research.

Odd, then, isn't it, they'll never be aware of that tantalizing fact until we tell them...or, if they already know, they haven't figured out how to tell us.

Perhaps they feel there is no point as we wouldn't understand akin to "So long and thanks for all the fish"

More evolved doesn't necessarily mean more intelligent of course. It simply highlights that they are well equipped for the niche they occupy and have perhaps evolved more fully to exploit this niche since our two lines diverged than we have ours.

[Chip Monk]

Or perhaps we didn't have to because we were already the shiznitz.

[thewizeard]

See..my post totally ignored..well the real reason was their tongues all fell of due to constant nagging..and their inferior cousin, Lucy started picking them all up and saved them for her female children offspring, only...

Which is why we don 't have long to go until we meet the great silence..when all those nagging tongues, devolve and fall off.

[j2k4]

Odd, then, isn't it, they'll never be aware of that tantalizing fact until we tell them...or, if they already know, they haven't figured out how to tell us.

Perhaps they feel there is no point as we wouldn't understand akin to "So long and thanks for all the fish"

More evolved doesn't necessarily mean more intelligent of course. It simply highlights that they are well equipped for the niche they occupy and have perhaps evolved more fully to exploit this niche since our two lines diverged than we have ours.

Well. of course, and I could have ruined the thread early on by pointing that out.

Now look what you've gone and done, Les.

[thewizeard]

..sigh..dont be silly Biggles they are telepathetic..far ahead of us, true they are only dabbling with time travel right now, but then only the barrier of traveling at worp speed will stand between them becoming the Masters of the Universe.

[Snee]

Hoi, the genetic research being carried out by chimps is breathtaking.

And without aid of a proper laboratory.

You just can't fling poo far enough indoors.

[j2k4]

Hoi, the genetic research being carried out by chimps is breathtaking.

And without aid of a proper laboratory.

You just can't fling poo far enough indoors.

Ah, yes; Green research.

So visionary, these monkeys...and to have come so far, without the aid of Al Gore.

Simply amazing.

The really neat thing about al fresco research is cleanup's a breeze.