Comments on: Evolution in Progress? http://www.firsttube.com/read/Evolution-in-Progress/ crunchy nuggets, served semi-daily Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:05:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: JRM http://www.firsttube.com/read/Evolution-in-Progress/comment-page-1/#comment-97 JRM Mon, 26 Mar 2007 07:31:13 +0000 http://firsttubecom/read/Evolution-in-Progress#comment-97 Whoa now. Lactose intolerance is an unfavorable genetic configuration which prevents people from taking advantage of the energy and nutritional content of milk beyond childhood. Because of its supreme utility in agricultural societies, the mutation to allow adults to digest lactose spread rapidly throughout Europe over the last 1000 years or so (not sure about other continents). Lactose intolerance isn't a great disadvantage with so much food around, so I suspect that the selection pressure against it isn't particularly strong anymore.<br /> <br /> And EM allergies have always struck me as nonsense. She's allergic to the very long- and very short-wavelength photons of radio and gamma rays, respectively, but not the intermediate-wavelength visible radiation that we're awash in? I can't think of any mechanism with such a general response. But if it's real, it certainly won't be propagated through the human gene pool. Whoa now. Lactose intolerance is an unfavorable genetic configuration which prevents people from taking advantage of the energy and nutritional content of milk beyond childhood. Because of its supreme utility in agricultural societies, the mutation to allow adults to digest lactose spread rapidly throughout Europe over the last 1000 years or so (not sure about other continents). Lactose intolerance isn’t a great disadvantage with so much food around, so I suspect that the selection pressure against it isn’t particularly strong anymore.

And EM allergies have always struck me as nonsense. She’s allergic to the very long- and very short-wavelength photons of radio and gamma rays, respectively, but not the intermediate-wavelength visible radiation that we’re awash in? I can’t think of any mechanism with such a general response. But if it’s real, it certainly won’t be propagated through the human gene pool.

]]> By: Tyr. http://www.firsttube.com/read/Evolution-in-Progress/comment-page-1/#comment-95 Tyr. Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:41:50 +0000 http://firsttubecom/read/Evolution-in-Progress#comment-95 I think you've got the bit about the lactose intolerance wrong. Lactose tolerance is actually a genetic mutation that's only present in a minority of the world population :<br /> <a href=" http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn1787">www.newscientist.com</a><br /> My guess would be that we're actually "breeding out" this mutation by intermarriage.<br /> <br /> Really cool article though. I think you’ve got the bit about the lactose intolerance wrong. Lactose tolerance is actually a genetic mutation that’s only present in a minority of the world population :
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn1787“>http://www.newscientist.com
My guess would be that we’re actually “breeding out” this mutation by intermarriage.

Really cool article though.

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