Darwin’s theory of evolution challenged by University of Adelaide genetic memory research, published in journal Science
- From: The Advertiser
- August 15, 2014
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THEORY CHOMPED: Caitlin O’Connell, 19, with her daughter Zara. Picture Dean Martin Source: News Corp Australia
LANDMARK Adelaide research showing that sperm and eggs appear to carry genetic memories of events well before conception, may force a rethink of the evolutionary theories of Charles Darwin, scientists say.
It also suggests the bad habits developed through a parent’s lifetime could be passed on genetically to their children.
The University of Adelaide research, published internationally today, shows that babies may be prone to their parents’ youthful behaviour, from gorging as obese teenagers to a preference for fruit or even dislike of smells.
A NEW BEGINNING: A human embryo … Robinson Research Institute show that sperm and eggs appear to carry genetic memories of events well before conception. Source: News Limited
The work by the university’s Robinson Research Institute appears on Friday in the international journal Science after being put through scrupulous peer review.
It paves the way for a review of the work of French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, whose theory that an organism can pass to its offspring characteristics acquired during its lifetime was largely ignored after Darwin’s publication of On The Origin of Species in the mid-1800s, that work defining evolution as a process of incidental, random mutation between generations.
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Source: News Limited
Charles Dawin Source: The Advertiser
Robinson Institute director Professor Sarah Robertson warned that children born of parents with unhealthy habits may already be programmed to adopt them.
“People used to think that it didn’t matter because a child represented a new beginning, with a fresh start,” she said.
“The reality is, we can now say with great certainty the child doesn’t quite start from scratch. They already carry over a legacy of factors from their parents’ experiences that can shape development in the foetus and after birth.
“There is now biological evidence that memories of experiences in adults can be transferred through egg and sperm for the lifetime prospects of the child.
“If evolution has developed something like this it can give a child an edge to survive. This will rewrite long held views, that experiences can actually be transferred to offspring.”
Prof Robertson stressed that genes remain the blueprint for a new baby, but said the work of both Darwin and Lamarck may need to be reconsidered.
“The genes are the blueprint and that won’t change,” Prof Robertson said. “But this is at another level, it is the decoration of the gene, the icing on the cake if you like, a gift to offspring that gives them another layer of information about survival.”
“Lifestyle changes by potential parents and improvements in the right direction, especially in the months leading up to conception, could have a lasting, positive benefit for the future of their child,” Prof Robertson said.
UniSA human movement student Caitlin O’Connell, 19, who has baby Zara, six months, said the research findings seemed like common sense and she is pleased for her daughter’s sake her own parents encouraged her towards a healthy lifestyle.
“Mum and Dad always encouraged us to eat well and I’ve always tried to have a balanced diet with plenty of exercise,” she said.
“When I was pregnant that became paramount — everyone wants the best for their baby — and now Zara is moving on to solids she just loves her fruit and vegetables.”
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The only reason anyone believes in evolution, is not because the evidence for it is overwhelming contrary to what its current activists like Stephen Hawking,David Attenborough, Richard Dawkins, etc say to the world, But simply because man does not want to be accountable to God for his actions ,ie his sin, Deny God exists, and deny he is the creator of the universe and us humans, you deny you have to be accountable to him for your life. In other words an atheist just wants to be his own god, and make us own rules, and have no creator telling him what is right or wrong. But funny thing is our basic laws of every country come from the ten commandments of God. That is every country believes its wrong to murder, wrong to steal. People believe its wrong to lie. If you lie in court it’s called perjury.And the great majority of people, don’t have a prob with bringing justice and judgement to a person who breaks the laws of the land. Yet people struggle to think that a creator of us all, has any right to have laws of his own to govern the world. So many atheists say to us, ” they don’t believe in God, because if there was such a thing as God why is there suffering.” Then they do the usual atheist rant about poverty etc. Our reply is this If every person who has ever lived and will live, was living their life according to Gods standards at all times, there would not be any suffering and pain, The suffering and pain of this world, has come about, not because of God, but simply because man is choosing to sin and follow satan’s ways and not Gods.And God himself gave man a free will to chose right from wrong, good from evil. living life by his standards or life from satans. Another thing we have constantly heard from atheists, is this. They don’t believe in heaven,but if there is such a place, they know they are going there,because they are a nice good person who doesn’t deserve to be punished. And the anger in them rises, when we dare say to them, that if they don’t accept the Lord as their Savior and God, they will end up in hell. People don’t have a prob with human jails. They don’t have a prob with the courts sending people who have transgressed the laws of the land, to jail. But people especially atheists have a major prob with God sending them to hell for transgressing his laws. And they certainly don’t believe they deserve to be punished for anything. Sadly because in their minds they are not even sinners. We have gone through much suffering and pain in our life in a variety of ways, but we are so glad and thank God inspite of it all, we have never been an atheist, and denied the existence of God. As the bible says only a fool says there is no God.And one day in the not too distant future, every atheist will find out that our Lord is indeed real when he comes back as Judge and King. The bible says they will have to bow their knee to him . Better to bow now, and have him your Savior and Lord, than have to bow to him when he is here as Judge.
Some good thoughts…i think science can often confirm what we know to be true.The bible is often vindicated especially in the area of archeology.
So true Lance. We say God is the answer to every science question.Because he made it all. And well everything works in creation just the way God made it too. The theory of evolution goes from disorder to order. Gods creation has gone from order to disorder.Total opposites which we find very interesting. And the only reason there is so much disorder , is not because God made everything faulty, or God himself is behind the disorder. But simply mankinds sin has caused all the disorder in the world.