RE: [asa] chromasome fusion #2 (how vs. did, YEC/OEC's proved wrong)

" In connection with this, have the Neandertal fossils yielded DNA that can be checked for such features? "

I'll let a biologist answer your question about the chromosomes.

" but it is possible that the 48 chromosomed individuals were humans, not apes."

According to evolution, there is no obvious break anywhere which would define 'human' and 'ape.' It isn't black and white, but lots of grey-scale.

As an aside, a few months I went to a Kenneth Miller lecture when he was in town. Something fascinating- he said essentially "you want a 'missing link' We got it". He referred to a science journal article that was rather long and detailed, but an interesting thing was a spreadsheet showing measured skull sizes for apes, humans, and all fossils in between. A perfect scattergram, it turns out, to show the progression... and illustrate the grayscale nature of evolution.

...Bernie

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On Behalf Of gordon brown
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2009 4:38 PM
To: asa@calvin.edu
Subject: Re: [asa] chromasome fusion #2 (how vs. did, YEC/OEC's proved wrong)

On Fri, 17 Jul 2009, Iain Strachan wrote:

> Sorry but I don't think it is evidence of apelike creature to human evolution.
>
> It is strong evidence that two chromosomes fused into one at a certain
> stage. But as we've seen from Dennis's and Darryl's explanation, it's
> not really a change that's a big deal; the genetic material is all the
> same. I don't know if we know when this fusion happened - but it is
> possible that the 48 chromosomed individuals were humans, not apes.
> (Doubtless someone more knowledgeable may be able to correct me on
> this, but from what I've read so far, it seems an implicit assumption
> that the 48 chromosome individual had to be an ape-like creature.
> That assumption has to be justified. Was the sequence 48(ape) ---->
> 46(ape) ----> Human, or was it 48(Human) ---> 46(Human).
>

This also occurred to me. In connection with this, have the Neandertal
fossils yielded DNA that can be checked for such features? This is far
from my field, and information about how far back we can find fossil DNA
that can be analysed is vague in my memory.

Gordon Brown (ASA member)

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Received on Wed Jul 22 11:50:37 2009