From faustnh from gmail.com Tue Oct 9 19:31:07 2007 From: faustnh from gmail.com (=?iso-8859-1?B?RmF1c3Rpbm8gTvrxZXogSGVybuFuZGV6?=) Date: Wed Oct 10 06:03:59 2007 Subject: [Molecular-evolution] On a Proposal of Correction of Wikipedia's Approach to the Concept of Evolution Message-ID: <1191976267.720736.99180@r29g2000hsg.googlegroups.com> Wikipedia page of Evolution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution The following proposal has also been included on that article's discussion section : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Evolution Important discussion needed: I propose a very important and necessary correction to this article's base approach. (A new definition of Evolution). I copy and paste literally from the main article (first words of Wikipedia's article) : ------------------ "In biology, evolution is the change in the inherited traits of a population from generation to generation" ------------------ All the rest of the article revolves around this idea ; so the article gives a central importance , for example , to notions such as inheritance . I consider that's not a sound definition of Evolution . I propose here a much more sound definition or pro-definition of Evolution . I hope you will understand it and accept it . Of course I'm open to discussion : ------------------ (In biology) Evolution is the fact that living beings (that is, species, patterns or homogeneous groups) change, transform or mutate, to re-adapt to new environments, or to environmental changes, or to new environmental conditions. ------------------ In short: to evolve is to change to re-adapt to a new environment. So what has this got to do with the simple notion of Wikipedia, of "change in the inherited traits of a population from generation to generation". Wikipedia definition is not leaning in a substantive manner on the idea of an own self change oriented to an environment change. The concept of reproduction is not initially necessary for the concept of Evolution. I think reproduction occurs when living beings have become so complex, that they need to rebuild theirselves separatedly up from zero to be able to assume transformations; I think this is also what made genes necessary. But, on the other hand, very simple forms of life could use directly their own internal metabolism, without extending it outside, to assume self transformations or mutations, before new environmental conditions. The important thing of evolution, is the relation between a change of the living being, and a change of the environment. The emphasis should be on this, not on things like reproduction or inheritance. I write some more detailed considerations about this on my blog, in an article where I experimentally imagine the artificial synthesis of a living being: + http://posteocuandomesaledeloshuevos.blogspot.com/2007/09/read-this-and-youll-be-immortal-nidea.html From bbx107 from excite.XXXX.com Sat Oct 13 13:04:04 2007 From: bbx107 from excite.XXXX.com (bob) Date: Sat Oct 13 13:16:48 2007 Subject: [Molecular-evolution] Re: On a Proposal of Correction of Wikipedia's Approach to the Concept of Evolution References: Message-ID: On Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:31:07 -0700, Faustino N??ez Hern?ndez wrote: >Wikipedia page of Evolution: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution > >The following proposal has also been included on that article's >discussion section : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Evolution > > > > >Important discussion needed: I propose a very important and necessary >correction to this article's base approach. (A new definition of >Evolution). > >I copy and paste literally from the main article (first words of >Wikipedia's article) : > > >------------------ >"In biology, evolution is the change in the inherited traits of a >population from generation to generation" >------------------ > > >All the rest of the article revolves around this idea ; so the article >gives a central importance , for example , to notions such as >inheritance . > > > >I consider that's not a sound definition of Evolution . > >I propose here a much more sound definition or pro-definition of >Evolution . I hope you will understand it and accept it . Of course >I'm open to discussion : > > >------------------ >(In biology) Evolution is the fact that living beings (that is, >species, patterns or homogeneous groups) change, transform or mutate, >to re-adapt to new environments, or to environmental changes, or to >new environmental conditions. >------------------ The original definition, which you quoted at the top, is better. It is difficult to encapsulate a complex idea briefly. Better to be very brief, and then develop it. The key problem with the proposal is the emphasis on adaptation, which is only one small issue in evolution. The proposed def helps reinforce the incorrect notion that amateurs have that all changes are beneficial (adaptive), which of course is quite wrong. bob From gavrilov from longevity-science.org Wed Oct 17 14:20:31 2007 From: gavrilov from longevity-science.org (Leonid Gavrilov) Date: Wed Oct 17 14:45:40 2007 Subject: [Molecular-evolution] Evolution of Aging and Longevity Message-ID: <6.2.1.2.2.20071017140952.053b4f78@pop.1and1.com> Greetings, I thought perhaps you may be interested to know that the evolutionary studies on aging and longevity will be discussed at the upcoming International Workshop on Human Longevity. For more information, please see: http://longevity-science.blogspot.com/2007/10/call-for-abstracts-international.html Shorter weblink: http://tinyurl.com/2c8jj5 Hope to see you there! Kind regards, -- Leonid Gavrilov, Ph.D. Website: http://longevity-science.org/ Blog: http://longevity-science.blogspot.com/ My books: http://longevity-science.org/Books.html Books Forum: http://science-library.blogspot.com/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/mol-evol/attachments/20071017/a68ec380/attachment.html From ffdew2 from uaf.edu Tue Oct 30 15:53:55 2007 From: ffdew2 from uaf.edu (Diana Wolf) Date: Tue Oct 30 16:57:46 2007 Subject: [Molecular-evolution] Graduate position: Poppy self-incompatibility, Alaska Message-ID: We currently have NSF funding for an MS or PhD level student to work on the evolution of self-incompatibility genes in poppies (Papaveraceae) at the University of Alaska. The ideal student for this project will either have molecular lab skills (such as DNA sequencing), and/or data analysis skills (math, computer, coalescence theory). However, all high-quality students with an interest in evolutionary genetics are encouraged to apply for Spring or Fall admission. Alaska offers unparalleled beauty, untouched landscapes, and unique research opportunities, as well as an extreme climate and unique culture. Research at UA includes topics such as adaptations to our extreme climate, the unique evolutionary history of organisms influenced by glacial cycles and migrations from both North American and Asia, climate change, how interactions among species influence community composition. The goal of the project is to sequence and identify self-incompatibility alleles from the genus Papaver, and investigate the patterns of molecular evolution at this locus. Students will also be encouraged to develop their own interests in areas related to this project. For instance, investigating the number of self-incompatibility alleles and mate availability in Papaver species with different evolutionary histories. There are several rare (federally listed) poppy species in Alaska which are not found elsewhere in North America, and there is likely to be interesting conservation work that can be done on these species, such as investigating their self-incompatibility status and ability to find mates, levels of genetic diversity, and their divergence from eastern Russian populations, and relationships to other Beringian poppies. There are also opportunities for developing theory on the evolution of self-incompatibility genes. Please contact: Diana Wolf ffdew2@uaf.edu http://www.faculty.uaf.edu/ffdew2/ and/or Naoki Takebayashi ffnt@uaf.edu http://www.faculty.uaf.edu/ffnt/ More information about research at UAF can be found: http://www.bw.uaf.edu/ http://www.iab.uaf.edu/ http://www.iab.uaf.edu/research.php