The octopus is from Mars, and other stories

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There are certain things in genetics that are truly shocking. Complexity (in this case, of the octopus genome), hybridization between species that are not in any way similar, ancient genetic connections between the Polynesians and the South Americans, and the discovery of massive cassettes of DNA that cause huge changes in organisms–without natural selection or mutation driving the changes–are all new ideas that are amazing and fun to learn about. Some of these are hard to deal with in evolutionary theory. Yet, they fit beautifully into a creation context.

Links:

Octopus

• Yong E, Octopuses do something really strange to their genes (The Atlantic, April 6, 2017)
• Sarfati J, Loving God with all your mind: logic and creation (Journal of Creation, 1998)

Paddlefish/sturgeon

• Scientists Accidentally Bred the Fish Version of a Liger (NY Times, 2020)
• Káldy et al. Hybridization of Russian Sturgeon (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Brandt and Ratzeberg, 1833) and American Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula, Walbaum 1792) and Evaluation of Their Progeny (Genes 11:7, 2020)
• Batten D, Ligers and wholphins? What next? (Creation, 2000)

Pacific Islands share DNA with South America

• Wade L Polynesians, Native Americans met and mingled long ago (Science, 2020)
• Skoglund P, et al., Ancient Genomics and the Peopling of the Southwest Pacific (Nature, 2016)

Hemizygosity

• Terborg, P. The hemizygosity hypothesis—a novel genetic paradigm for baranomes (Journal of Creation, 2020)
• Todesco et al. Massive haplotypes underlie ecotypic differentiation in sunflowers (Nature, 2020)

 

Intro Music by Xihcsr
Intro Graphics by MattWalkerVideo