4 ms·
Take the tomato genome and look at any random pigmenting gene. There are a finite number of mutations (flips, insertions, deletions) to change that into a gene
by zeteo 15y ago
Take the tomato genome and look at any random pigmenting gene. There are a finite number of mutations (flips, insertions, deletions) to change that into a gene producing glow-in-the-dark proteins. All of those mutations can, and do, occur without human intervention. If only there was any Darwinian advantage for tomatoes to glow in the dark, they would most likely be doing so already.
- pyre 15y agoI think 'most likely' is an over-statement. Most of those mutations are based on random chance. There is nothing that states that over a certain amount of time, every possible random mutation will happen.