Book Explains How Evolution Really Works, Rebuts Intelligent Design

Newswise — In a new book, The Plausibility of Life: Resolving Darwin's Dilemma, Harvard Medical School's Marc W. Kirschner and John C. Gerhart, of the University of California"Berkeley address a key problem in evolutionary theory that has puzzled scientists from Darwin on and which is now under intense scrutiny by proponents of intelligent design: where do the big jumps come from in evolution? Kirschner, HMS professor and chair of the Dept. of Systems Biology, and Gerhart show that newly discovered molecular properties of organisms facilitate evolution.

The origin of novelty, the development of new arrangements of interlocking parts that some call "irreducibly complex," can only be understood in the light of the last 20 years of research in cell biology and development.

We now know that the 'parts' that make up a living organism are very unlike the rigid parts designed for machines. Instead, they can flexibly connect and re-connect, using the same pieces over and over to make new functions. For example, one might think that a mutation that makes the neck of a giraffe longer would have to be accompanied by several other mutations, one that expands the length of the muscles of the neck, another that makes the blood vessels longer, and so on. But instead, the muscles grow to fit the length of the bone and the blood vessels grow until all the muscles have a sufficient supply of oxygen. Apparently very complex adaptations can therefore be achieved with few, simple mutations.

Today, it is understood for the first time that all animals use the same set of core processes to develop into adult forms. Applying this knowledge to evolution, the authors show that novel traits emerge from the ways the organism is constructed: its complex mechanisms for adapting to the environment, its modular construction, and its internal circuitry that can be re-specified and reconnected.

HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

http://hms.harvard.edu/ Harvard Medical School has more than 6,000 full-time faculty working in eight academic departments based at the School's Boston quadrangle or in one of 47 academic departments at 18 Harvard teaching hospitals and research institutes. Those Harvard hospitals and research institutions include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, the CBR Institute for Biomedical Research, Children's Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Forsyth Institute, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Joslin Diabetes Center, Judge Baker Children's Center, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Mental Health Center, McLean Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and VA Boston Healthcare System.NEW BOOK EXPLAINS HOW EVOLUTION REALLY WORKS, REBUTS INTELLIGENT DESIGN Newswise — In a new book, The Plausibility of Life: Resolving Darwin's Dilemma, Harvard Medical School's Marc W. Kirschner and John C. Gerhart, of the University of California"Berkeley address a key problem in evolutionary theory that has puzzled scientists from Darwin on and which is now under intense scrutiny by proponents of intelligent design: where do the big jumps come from in evolution? Kirschner, HMS professor and chair of the Dept. of Systems Biology, and Gerhart show that newly discovered molecular properties oforganisms facilitate evolution. The origin of novelty, the development of new arrangements of interlockingparts that some call "irreducibly complex," can only be understood in thelight of the last 20 years of research in cell biology and development. We now know that the 'parts' that make up a living organism are very unlikethe rigid parts designed for machines. Instead, they can flexibly connectand re-connect, using the same pieces over and over to make new functions.For example, one might think that a mutation that makes the neck of agiraffe longer would have to be accompanied by several other mutations, onethat expands the length of the muscles of the neck, another that makes theblood vessels longer, and so on. But instead, the muscles grow to fit thelength of the bone and the blood vessels grow until all the muscles have asufficient supply of oxygen. Apparently very complex adaptations cantherefore be achieved with few, simple mutations. Today, it is understood for the first time that all animals use the same setof core processes to develop into adult forms. Applying this knowledge toevolution, the authors show that novel traits emerge from the ways theorganism is constructed: its complex mechanisms for adapting to theenvironment, its modular construction, and its internal circuitry that canbe re-specified and reconnected.

HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

http://hms.harvard.edu/Harvard Medical School has more than 6,000 full-time faculty working ineight academic departments based at the School's Boston quadrangle or in oneof 47 academic departments at 18 Harvard teaching hospitals and researchinstitutes. Those Harvard hospitals and research institutions include BethIsrael Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, CambridgeHealth Alliance, the CBR Institute for Biomedical Research, Children'sHospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Forsyth Institute, HarvardPilgrim Health Care, Joslin Diabetes Center, Judge Baker Children's Center,Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital,Massachusetts Mental Health Center, McLean Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital,Schepens Eye Research Institute, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and VABoston Healthcare System.