Lamarck's Evolutionary Creationism versus NeoDarwinism

"If "the sublime author of the universe" can create all the different species by separate acts of creation, he can so too, surely create one or two species to begin with, and confer upon them the power of evolving into the rest." - Jean Baptiste Lamarck. 


Lamarck was a creationist that first proposed evolution 50 years before Darwin. Darwin quoted him over 20 times in his Origins of the Species.


Genesis 1:2


The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving (brooding -creating life) over the surface of the waters.


Phylogenetic's shows a "Bush of Life" complex at the beginning of Life. Darwin's Tree of Life is not found.


Lamarck was a French biologist who proposed the theory of acquired characteristics, which states that an organism can pass on traits that it acquired during its lifetime to its offspring. He envisioned that life becomes more complex over time. This precisely what we see in biology and paleontology.


Lamarckian evolution is the theory that acquired traits can be inherited by offspring. This means that an organism changes its environment or behavior. On Lamarck the cell or organism has "agency" changing itself or being changed rapidly by it's environment for adaptation not NeoDarwinian's incredibly slow mutational evolution. Darwin is "gene centric" ignoring epigenetics.


Epigenetics is the study of acquired changes in gene expression that are not caused by changes in DNA sequence (ie NeoDarwinism). These changes can be inherited, and they can affect how an organism develops and functions over vast times. Many scientists feel that this describes Lamarck's mechanism.


Epigenetics is the study of how environmental factors can change gene expression without changing the DNA sequence as per Darwin. This means that even if an organism's DNA does not change (per NeoDarwinism), its genes can be turned on or off in different ways, depending on its environment.


Neo-Darwinism is a modern synthesis of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection and Gregor Mendel's theory of genetics. It proposes random mutations occur in the DNA and the improved organism is selected fixing this mutation.


Transposable elements (TEs) are DNA sequences that can move around within the genome without Darwin. These elements can also be transferred between organisms. As a result they can give the "illusion" of common ancestry.


All of these mechanisms can potentially lead to Lamarckian evolution. For example, if an organism experiences a change in its environment, this could lead to changes in gene expression through epigenetics. These changes could then be inherited by offspring, resulting in a Lamarckian-like inheritance of acquired traits..


TE exchange via HGT between all life.


This process can give the illusion of common ancestry below.


IDPs (intrinsic disorders  proteins) with IDRs (intrinsically disordered regions) and HGT (horizontal gene transfer) of TEs (transposable elements) are controlled by epigenetics. This can lead to adaptation and the appearance of common ancestry, even though it is not. 


IDPs are resistant to NeoDarwinian mutations and can resist change for billions of years. No Darwinian "gradual" evolution for billions of years. They are rapidly fixed in the DNA by epigenetics. The sites are site specific again giving the impression of common ancestry. 


TEs were present in the "Bush of Life" or the LECA branches, and they were complex at the beginning. In other words no evolutionary history rather they match Genesis 1:2 the "brooding" of the Holy Spirit forming the first life(s) on earth.


This is a newer understanding of evolution that is challenging the traditional view of NeoDarwinism. NeoDarwinism is based on the idea that evolution is driven by random mutations and natural selection. Epigenetics is showing that there is more to evolution than just mutations. Epigenetic changes can also affect gene expression, which can lead to adaptation and new traits.


The idea that TEs are fixed in the DNA by epigenetics is also challenging the traditional view of TEs. TEs were once thought to be parasitic DNA (Junk DNA) that could only move around the genome. 


This is arguably NeoDarwinism's and Richard Dawkins's (Selfish Genes) greatest failure. Imaging ignoring 98% of the human genome.


Had Einstein's theory ignored 98% of the universe it would have been rightfully rejected. But not so with Dawkins followers. Their "faith" far exceeds that of a creationist. It's hilarious that Dawkins said "Junk DNA" is the greatest reason to reject creationism. 


However, epigenetics is showing that TEs can be integrated into the genome and become part of the organism's DNA. This means that TEs can play a role in Lamarckian evolution, and they are definitely not parasitic as once thought.


20 years ago 98% of biologists believed solely in NeoDarwinism. Up to 33% of these older biologists now doubt Darwin.  Young biologists that believe in epigenetic Lamarckian evolution number 50%.


The new understanding of evolution that is emerging from the study of IDPs, IDRs, HGT, TEs, and epigenetics is still in its early stages. However, it is already challenging the traditional neo-Darwinian view of evolution and providing new insights into how evolution works.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Beyond the Sequence: The Epigenetic "Fingers" That Play the DNA Keyboard

Image
Imagine the keyboard itself is not a standard piano keyboard, but a modular synthesizer, capable of producing an almost infinite array of sounds. The DNA sequence, then, represents the fundamental building blocks of this synthesizer, the raw materials from which all sounds are generated. Epigenetics, our "fingers," manipulates these building blocks, adjusting parameters like volume, timbre, and rhythm, transforming the raw potential of the DNA sequence into a symphony of cellular functions. We can further refine the "fingers" analogy. Consider that each finger represents a distinct epigenetic mechanism: DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA.  DNA methylation, for instance, might be the "index finger," capable of precisely silencing specific genes, like muting individual keys on the synthesizer. Histone modifications, the "middle finger," could represent the ability to adjust the accessibility of the DN...
Read more

Why are Christian philosophers running towards Darwin while biologists are "running" away?

Image
As nature reveals the strength of epigenetics and the weakness of Neo-Darwinism, biologists are “running” away from the long-standing accepted theory. In The Federalist , April 2019, Benjamin Dierker reviews “Why one-third of biologists now question Darwinism”: "Current estimates are that approximately one-third of professional academic biologists who do not believe in intelligent design find Darwin’s Theory inadequate to describe all of the complexity in biology.” Dierker continues, “The important note is that these are not ideologues or religious zealots, nor do they propose a god or biblical solution.  Rather, they find problems in the lack of explanatory power of Darwin’s theory in light of modern understanding of mutation, variation, DNA sequencing and more. These expressions of doubt do not reject naturalism or evolution per se, but the rigor of the Neo-Darwinian model for explaining the development of life.” For 40 years, scientists calculated natural se...
Read more

Rewriting the Rules: Epigenomic Mutation Bias Challenges Randomness in Evolution

Image
This research challenges the long-held dogma that mutations occur randomly, irrespective of their consequences, by demonstrating a clear, epigenome-mediated mutation bias in Arabidopsis thaliana . The study meticulously unveils how mutation rates are not uniform across the genome but are significantly reduced in functionally constrained regions, particularly within gene bodies and essential genes. This discovery fundamentally alters our understanding of evolutionary processes, suggesting that mutation is not a purely directionless force. "Mutation bias reflects natural selection in Arabidopsis thaliana" This opening statement encapsulates the core finding: mutation rates are not random but reflect epigenetic pressures. The authors demonstrate that mutations are less frequent in crucial genomic regions, directly contradicting the prevailing theory of random mutation. This observation suggests an active mechanism that minimizes deleterious mutations in essentia...
Read more