I wrote in response to an earlier post that “Darwinists” and “Creationists” are so busy apologetically defending their respective paradigms that they miss some very interesting opportunities to change their beliefs. It appears both camps may be
inattentionally blind.
Some very interesting ideas come from what is by far the most interesting paper I have examined this year in reading about evolution and genetics. The title is NeuroTheology: Brain, Science Spirituality, Religious Experience by Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D. I was able to download the PDF for free but have been unable to locate the link I used. (If I do locate it, I will post it.)
The Book:
Neurotheology: Brain, Science, Spirituality, Religious Experience
With scientific rigor, the author presents premises and argues the following summary:
1. All ‘evolved’ properties of past, present and future species exist a priori in DNA, in a non-activated (intron) form. What appears to be mutation is in fact the activation of a priori potential, coded in DNA. Speech in humans, for example. It was always there. It is also in mice, rats and dogs in an inactive ("intronic") state.
2. DNA components in an inactive state can and will conditionally respond to environmental factors. Environmental factors can activate genes existing a priori in a non-activated state. This can lead to what we currently call "evolved" features and even some all-new species. In all cases the potential for all polymorphism in living creatures lies dormant, pre-coded in their DNA until environmental factors activate it.
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As per the amazing claim that evolution is based on “random mutations” let us consider the so-called “language gene” known as FOXP2. This gene existed prior to the evolution of language, and is found in the genome of other mammals, including mice, rate, dogs, cats, chimopanzees and so on, but in a non-activated proteim-protected form. The gene was identified by Dr. Anthony P. Monaco of the University of Oxford. FOXP2 is believed to switch on other genes during the development of the brain thus giving rise to the neural circuitry which supports human language.
However, Dr. Svante Paabo and colleagues at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, reported in the August 2002 issue of NATURE,
that the exact same gene exists in a non-activated form, in mice, chimpanzees and other primates (Enard et al 2002). According to Dr. Paabo, the FOXP2 gene has remained largely unaltered during the evolution of mammals. However, in humans this formerly silent gene became activated through changes in the shape of its protective protein coat. Protein prevents the activation of genes, and removal or alteration in the shape of this protein overcoat allows for the gene to be activated.
Thus, the “language gene” did not randomly evolve through random mutations. It existed prior to the evolution of humans and prior to the evolution of language, in a silent non-activated state.
The genetic code is for the most part universal (Strachan and Reed 1996; Watson et al 1992) and there is no evidence of randomness in its organization or expression—as demanded by Darwin’s theory.
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Skeptics might be wise to withhold judgement until they have examined this book and checked the current state of scientific research in this area of genetics.