February 7, 2002

1:36 PM

First genetic evidence of macroevolution found.…the scientists show how mutations in regulatory genes that guide the embryonic development of crustaceans and fruit flies allowed aquatic crustacean-like arthropods, with limbs on every segment of their bodies, to evolve 400 million years ago into a radically different body plan: the terrestrial six-legged insects.
The link is to a press release with a basic explanation; if you've got a subscription to Nature, you can read the whole article there.(via /.)
posted by darukaru (7 comments total)

quiet thread. I suppose no one wants the creation/evolution debate today? Good. It does get kind of old.

i think continued scientfic inquiry into everything is great, and makes the world a better place. Thanks for the link darukaru.
posted by th3ph17 at 2:34 PM on February 7, 2002

Good link. Thanks!
posted by jeblis at 2:39 PM on February 7, 2002

I had no trouble downloading the articles from the advance publication page at Nature without subscription. There are not, however, light reading.
posted by iceberg273 at 2:54 PM on February 7, 2002

Wow, that's incredibly cool. I love the diversity of Nature.
posted by warhol at 7:12 PM on February 7, 2002

Wow, that's incredibly cool. I love the diversity of Nature.
posted by warhol at 7:13 PM on February 7, 2002

Maybe, if we ignore it, it'll go away.
posted by EngineBeak at 9:38 PM on February 7, 2002

I used to think so, then I sprouted that damned 11th finger.
posted by dong_resin at 9:44 PM on February 7, 2002