Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Psalm 139:14
"A fundamental axiom of evolutionary theory is the alleged random
appearance of mutations in the DNA of an organism.
---This supposedly
creates novel genetic variation for the mystical agent called natural selection to act upon.
---That essential premise has now been utterly debunked in a new secular research paper published in the journal Nature.
Scientists had previously discovered that genetic variation in the
genome was not random and tended to be much lower around parts of the
genome involved in regulation and stability.
But a
comprehensive study of an entire genome to evaluate mutation and
variation had not been done—until now.
For this
study, the scientists analyzed the DNA sequence from a variety of
specialized strains of Arabidopsis that had accumulated large amounts of
DNA variation (mutations) over many generations.
Mutations (alterations in the DNA sequence) can occur when DNA becomes
damaged and left unrepaired.
In this new study, the researchers wanted
to know if these mutations were entirely random or if something else
might be going on. As it turns out, the million-plus mutations that they
tracked across the genome were very non-random in their distribution.
In fact, the overall pattern revealed an ingenious scheme to benefit the
genetic integrity of the plant—creating an entirely new paradigm for
thinking about mutation that defies standard evolutionary reasoning.
In the regions of the genome where mutations were minimized, the
researchers found a strong representation of essential genes, such as
those involved in cell growth and gene regulation. The researchers
deemed these areas to be some of the most biologically important regions
in the genome and were thus protected from mutation. They also
determined that DNA damage repair seems to be particularly more active
in these regions.
Epigenetic modifications (either to the DNA itself or to
the proteins that the DNA is wrapped around) either allow or inhibit
mutations. Inhibiting epigenetic states were common around areas
protected from mutations. However, a decrease in such epigenetic
features were found in and around more specialized genes that were
associated with environmental responses. Thus, genetic variation could
be created in these areas that might allow the plant to respond as a
mechanism of adaptation.
Another telling aspect to this study was its profound lack of scientific
support for the mystical idea of “natural selection” despite the title
of the paper which appears to promote it. In fact, the authors stated in
the paper, “We found no evidence of selection on these mutations,” and
“In conclusion, evolution around genes in Arabidopsis appears
to be explained by mutation bias to a greater extent than by selection.”
Their phrase “mutation bias” really refers to an incredible genome-wide
mechanism that includes epigenetic regulation to control DNA variation
to the benefit and adaptation of the plant.
The best model to explain these findings is not evolution, but one that
is based on design and an understanding of Genesis. First, plants,
animals, and humans all had a certain amount of genetic variation built
into them at creation.
Second, all these biological systems also had
mechanisms built into them to facilitate novel genetic variation as part
of their adaptive design.
Finally, aberrant mutations are a reality and
are a result of genetic errors due to living in a fallen world and can
be caused by toxins, radiation, etc.
---Fortunately, the Creator has also
built amazing DNA repair systems into our cells that work to monitor and
repair our genome. Any way you look at it, all these systems point
directly to the design and ingenuity of our mighty Creator God." ICR