August 7, 2006
STRANGELY ENOUGH, IT'S STILL JUST A MOUSE:
Evolution reversed in mice (BBC, 8/07/06)
US researchers have taken a mouse back in time some 500 million years by reversing the process of evolution.By engineering its genetic blueprint, they have rebuilt a gene that was present in primitive animals. [...]
"What we have done is essentially go back in time to when Hox1 did what Hoxa1 and Hoxb1 do today," said Mario Capecchi, professor of human genetics at the University of Utah School of Medicine.
"It gives a real example of how evolution works because we can reverse it."
Mr. Capecchi apparently thinks he's random rather than intelligent. Posted by Orrin Judd at August 7, 2006 5:36 PM
Let's see ... 500 million years BP would be the end of the Cambrian. I never realized before that there were mice in the Cambrian -- I thought it was only protozoa and worms and trilobites and such.
Posted by: jd watson at August 7, 2006 9:09 PMEvolution reversed? Is that like the old joke about playing a country song backwards? "You get your small brain back...you get your easy childbirth back...you get your backhair..."--oh, sorry Orrin.
Posted by: Peter B at August 8, 2006 11:24 AM