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Universal common ancestry (view source)
Revision as of 19:55, September 16, 2007
, 19:55, September 16, 2007→Bases for belief
== Bases for belief ==
== Bases for belief ==
=== Similarities ===
Belief in common descent is largely derived from the similarity among forms of life. For example:
Belief in common descent is largely derived from the similarity among forms of life. For example:
*All cells have ribosomes to produce protein.
*All cells have ribosomes to produce protein.
From these similarities, an evolutionist infers that all life is related through one original life form.
From these similarities, an evolutionist infers that all life is related through one original life form.
=== Shared endogenous retroviruses ===
A [[Retrovirus]] is a virus that incorporates itself into an host cell's DNA, and programs the host cell to produce copies of the cell. [[Endogenous retroviruse]]s are retroviruses that infected an organism's [[germ cell]]s, and were thus passed to the next generation, and incorporated into the organism's genetic line over time.
Researchers estimate that 1% of the human genome is occupied by retroviruses, constituting approximately 30,000 different retroviruses.<ref>Sverdlov, E. D. (2000) "Retroviruses and primate evolution." BioEssays 22: 161-171. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10655035&dopt=AbstractPlus]</ref> Some of these viruses are shared by humans and apes. <ref>Lebedev, Y. B., Belonovitch, O. S., Zybrova, N. V, Khil, P. P., Kurdyukov, S. G., Vinogradova, T. V., Hunsmann, G., and Sverdlov, E. D. (2000) "Differences in HERV-K LTR insertions in orthologous loci of humans and great apes." Gene 247: 265-277.[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10773466&dopt=AbstractPlus]</ref>
From these facts, evolutionists argue that these retroviruses are shared by humans and primates because they were inherited by a common ancestor. However, in making this inference, they ignore the observed fact that many retroviruses can infect both humans and apes. The most notable of these is [[HIV]], which is widely believed to have originated as [[SIV]] in chimpanzees, but can also infect humans and other monkeys.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/5012268.stm</ref> It is entirely possible, therefore, that humans and apes were ''independently infected'' with the same virus, and therefore shared endogenous retroviruses do not provide any meaningful evidence of common ancestry.
== Bases for disbelief ==
== Bases for disbelief ==