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Author
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Topic: Nature Refutes ID
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Josh
Member
Member # 405
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posted 08. May 2003 12:12
The following article has captured alot of attention very quickly. It is published in the current Nature:
Articles
Nature 423, 139 - 144 (2003); doi:10.1038/nature01568
The evolutionary origin of complex features
RICHARD E. LENSKI*, CHARLES OFRIA†, ROBERT T. PENNOCK‡ & CHRISTOPH ADAMI§
* Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
† Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
‡ Lyman Briggs School & Department of Philosophy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
§ Digital Life Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to R.E.L. (lenski@msu.edu).
A long-standing challenge to evolutionary theory has been whether it can explain the origin of complex organismal features. We examined this issue using digital organisms—computer programs that self-replicate, mutate, compete and evolve. Populations of digital organisms often evolved the ability to perform complex logic functions requiring the coordinated execution of many genomic instructions. Complex functions evolved by building on simpler functions that had evolved earlier, provided that these were also selectively favoured. However, no particular intermediate stage was essential for evolving complex functions. The first genotypes able to perform complex functions differed from their non-performing parents by only one or two mutations, but differed from the ancestor by many mutations that were also crucial to the new functions. In some cases, mutations that were deleterious when they appeared served as stepping-stones in the evolution of complex features. These findings show how complex functions can originate by random mutation and natural selection.
They manage to write an entire article about a "longstanding challenge" without once mentioning and or citing any ID theorists. Anyway, some links forwarded from the ASA listserve:
'Digital organisms' illuminate evolution (three versions of the article)
http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993706
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2003-05/msu-aes050503.php
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/05/0507_030507_digitalorganisms.html
This is obtaining alot of attention and should be relevant to those here. Any comments?
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nobody
Member
Member # 145
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posted 08. May 2003 12:31
"Any comments?"
Yes. It took intelligence to write the computer program mentioned in the article. However it takes much greater intelligence to write the programming of life. In fact it requires more intelligence than all the scientists in the world put together currently have.
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