Natural Science Forum / Biology / Evolution / February 2008

``Contrary to our previous beliefs, identical twins are not
  genetically identical. This surprising finding may be of
  great significance for research on hereditary diseases
  and for the development of new diagnostic methods. How

Here's a paper that stresses a heat cycle component.
Thermosynthesis as energy source for the RNA World:
A model for the bioenergetics of the origin of life
Anthonie W.J. Muller *

David Sloan Wilson in his book _Evolution for Everyone_ describes two
chicken breeding experiments which illustrate beautifully the difference
between individual selection and group selection.  Wilson is a professor
of biology and anthropology at Binghamton University, and is one of ...

Natural selection can act on human culture too
"Washington, Feb 19 (ANI): Natural selection can act on human culture as
well as on genes, says a new study which shows that cultural traits
affecting survival and reproduction evolve at a different rate than

I read that mendels second law (saying that traits are inherited
independently) if either
1) the genes regultating the traits reside on different chromosones
2) the genes are far from each other on the same chromosone

The 4 aspects of 'humaniqueness' that differentiate human and animal thought
http://www.topnews.in/4-aspects-humaniqueness-differentiate-human-and-animal-tho
ught-221184
Washington, Feb 18: A new study at Harvard University has shed light on
the key differences in human and animal ...

This news article relates to an old s.b.e. f.a.q.:
``Study finds humans still evolving, and quickly''
  The advantage of all but about 100 of the genes remains
  a mystery, said University of Wisconsin-Madison anthropologist

Did Life Begin in Ice?
February 20008 issue of "Discover" magazine
"One morning in late 1997, Stanley Miller lifted a glass vial from a
cold, bubbling vat.  For 25 years he had tended the vial as though it

Unexplored microbes hold incredible potential for science and industry
Humans live in the midst of a seething, breathing microbial world.
Microorganisms populate every conceivable habitat, both familiar and exotic,
from the surface of the human skin, to rainforest floors, to ...

i started thinking on this when i recalled the reasons why mars is at
present, unfit for life: unsuitable atmosphere, no water, etc.
But my argument is that the presence of water and oxygen is nodoubt
essential for the survival of "our" kind of biological species. there

Hello. This is not a serious, or scholastic question, but just out of
simple curiosity. It is said that there are only 5% DNA differences
between a human and a chimpanzee. The other day, I saw a tv program,
and a scientist said that a human and a squirrel have 70% of the DNA

Good day
ijust want to know how to determine the primary,secondary and tertiary
structures of haemoglobin or any quaternary protein.and the
interaction and factors involved in the conformation at different

Here are two quotes from the Nature article,
Ancient Bacteria Liked it Hot.
For example, the amounts of the nucleic-acid
bases guanine and cytosine found in certain

In his book _Evolution for Everyone_ David Sloan Wilson proposes five
major evolutionary hypotheses about religion, and suggests that by
looking at a large number of case studies of various religions these
hypotheses can be tested and the most likely one selected.

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5j_U08YkcpSa3MNHss92mYD9kwTyg
Marrying close family might be frowned upon in civilised society but a
new scientific study published appears to have discovered one benefit
to in-breeding: a long life.