You're not going to believe this.
A few days ago I reviewed some work from Edward Rubin's lab at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California (USA) [The Role of Ultraconserved Non-Coding Elements in Mammalian Genomes]. What they did was identify short stretches of DNA that are identical in the mouse, rat, and human genomes. Most of these pieces of DNA are 200-300 bp in length but some are larger. Rubin's group deleted four of these "ultra-conserved" non-coding elements in mice and discovered that the resulting strains seemed perfectly normal. This raises questions about the role of these short sequences that appear to have been highly conserved.
The IDiots have an explanation. DaveScot describes it on Uncommon Descent [Ultra-conserved DNA with no evident immediate purpose].
Edward Rubin again finds hard evidence supporting a front loaded evolution. Front loading is a design engineering term generally used to describe design elements inserted for possible use in the future (contingency) as opposed to immediate use. The mechanism of random mutation and natural selection is incapable of contingency planning. RM+NS can build based on experience but can’t build based on an abstract future. It is reactive not proactive. The front loading hypothesis in essence says the complex specified information necessary to construct the more complex machinery of life has been around since life appeared on the earth but much of it was preserved for expression in the far distant future.According to Intelligent Design Creationism this DNA is for future use by the Creator. Apparently the Intelligent Designer can't just make up some new DNA whenever (s)he needs to evolve some new function. Instead, (s)he has to stick the DNA in the genome of all organisms then take steps to protect it from mutation. In a few years the Intelligent Designer will activate these little bits of DNA and viola!—rats will get smarter (or something).
The other good news is that there's not much of this ultra-conserved DNA in our genomes. The Intelligent Designer must have just about finished with us. I don't know about you but I think it's time to get ready for the Rapture. Life is going to be so much better without the Christians.
[Note: Viola is English for voilà]
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