April 2017 -

Genetically identical twins – but not so identical traits

Identical twins with different skin, hair and eye colors – Gene sequences don’t determine traits

http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_621173.asp (February 28, 2016)

Excerpt: “Two baby girls from County Durham are thought to be the first genetically identical twins in the UK to be born with different eye and skin colour.

Before their birth, placental sampling had shown the twins were monozygotic – they had developed from the same fertilised egg and share the same DNA sequence.

‘Alternatively, sometimes markers on the DNA which influence the extent to which the DNA is expressed can be different in the twins. We do have some evidence that skin colour is subject to this kind of “epigenetic'” control,’ Dr Steves added.”

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170419121955.htm#.WPiYgwpqTIg.linkedin
(April 19, 2017)

Excerpt: “Although identical twins have the same genes as each other, their epigenomes — the collection of methyl marks studding their DNA — are different by the time they reach adulthood due in part to environmental factors. Reprogramming the skin cells of adult identical twins to their embryonic state eliminated most of these differences, the researchers found when they studied cells from three sets of twins. However, there were still key epigenetic differences between twins in terms of how the iPSCs compared to ESCs.

“In the past, researchers had found lots of sites with variations in methylation status, but it was hard to figure out which of those sites had variation due to genetics,” says Panopoulos. “Here, we could focus more specifically on the sites we know have nothing to do with genetics.” That new focus, she says, is what allowed them to home in on the MYC binding sites.”

My comment: Human skin, hair or eye colors are not determined by gene sequences. Instead, traits are determined by epigenetic control of gene expression. Some of the epigenetic markers can be very stable. Histone methylation marks can be passed on for at least 14 generations according to a new study:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170420141753.htm#.WPnaAiBOiGs.twitter

These findings destroy pseudoscientific claims about mutations made by population genetics. There is no such a thing as a human race. We are all the same, human beings, created by God.

Scientists should place these facts in the context of ecological adaptation and variation within kinds. There are no mechanisms for large scale evolution. Don’t get lost.

The existing species concept called into question

Bears breed across species borders – ‘Species’ is a man made word

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170419093151.htm#.WPikcs4L-8M.linkedin

Excerpt: “Pizzly, grolars or “capuccino bears” are common names of the offspring resulting from the mating of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus). “Such hybrids among bears are not as rare as we have hitherto assumed,” says Prof. Dr. Axel Janke of the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center in Frankfurt. In a large-scale analysis, a team of scientists led by the German evolutionary geneticist has sequenced six complete bear genomes. Each genome is about 2.5 billion base pairs large. “With these new data of the sun bear, sloth bear, Asiatic black bear and spectacled bear, we now have the genomes of all known bear species,” adds Janke.

It has previously been assumed that the number of hybrids between polar and brown bears is increasing due to climate change, because brown bears invade northern regions and polar bears move onto the sea ice later than usual. The new results show however that an abundant flow of genes among different bear species occurred to a good deal in the past. Hybrids are thus not necessarily linked to climate change. “Bears can form hybrids in different combinations,” explains Janke, and adds: “We knew this from zoos. In the wild, so far this was only observed for polar bears and brown bear as well as Asiatic black and sun bear.”

The new genomic data also show that there must have even been gene flow between the polar and sun bears. However, the two species live in geographically completely distinct areas and thus have never met.

The detected gene flow among bears also questions the basic biological concept of a species. The biological species definition assumes that different species cannot produce offspring in the wild or that hybrid offspring are sterile. The best-known example of this is the mule — a hybrid between a horse and a donkey. However, it has been observed that grolars, the hybrids between polar and grizzly bears, are often fertile. Janke: “We have to ask ourselves: Does the species concept still hold true, given there is evidence of gene flow not only in bears, but also in other animals?”

My comment: Why are they surprised after observing Bear variation which is based on epigenetic control of gene expression? Bears are just adapted to different environments, different diet and climate and that’s why they look a bit different. But actually they are the same kind. That’s why they are able to breed and get fertile offspring.

‘Species’ is a pseudoscientific term used for maintaining evolutionary illusions. Adaptation to different diets and climate leads to loss of biological information due to genetic mutations. An intensive loss of information might cause even chromosome loss and this can affect the mating willingness and even cause chromosomal barriers for breeding. Different looking bears are not willing to mate in the wild due to control of pheromones but in captivity we can observe interesting cases of hybridization. For example, the Red Muntjac has the lowest diploid chromosomal number in mammals (2n = 6 for females and 7 for males) whereas Reeves’ Muntjac has 2n = 46. But still these two species can produce viable F1 hybrids in captivity.

Everything points to Biblical creation and rapid variation of kinds. Don’t get misled.

Seven things Darwin didn’t tell you

Seven things Darwin didn’t tell you, because he didn’t know.

1. Alterations in diet, climate, stress and other environmental factors cause mechanism based inheritable changes in organisms, not random mutations and selection.

An example: Italian wall lizards experienced radical changes in morphology and behavior after changing their diet from insects to plants. This occurred very rapidly, just in three decades. They even had a ‘new’ structure in their gut, so called Cecal Valve. Genes that control growth of the Cecal Valve were differently expressed due to the changed diet.

2. Random mutations don’t enhance the genomic information. Random mutations are genetic errors and they destroy biological information and disrupt genetic integrity.

An example: There are about 200,000 disease-causing genetic mutations in the human DNA pointing out that evolution is not happening and that so called natural selection is not able to weed those mutations out.

3. Most of so-called mutations are not random changes. Genetic changes occur due to oxidative stress, changing diet, exposure to toxins, disrupted methylation patterns, viruses etc. However, most of them still disrupt genetic integrity.

Examples:
– A lack of methyl groups in gene body may develop cancer and trigger genetic mutations.

– Viruses play a potential role in causing aberrant methylation patterns. According to a fresh study, more than 1 in 5 adults has cancer-causing HPV infection.

4. Biological information is multi-layered. There are at least three forms of biological information in the cell:

1. Gene sequences – Digital information layer

2. Epigenetic markers, 3D genome, flanking binding sites – Analog information layer

3. Gene regulatory networks, genomic integrity and stability – Meta data

Examples:

– The cell uses cytokines as knobs instead of switches.

– DNA methylation influences continuous variation in ant worker size

5. Biological information is extremely complex. The ‘grammar’ of the human genetic code is more complex than that of even the most intricately constructed spoken languages in the world.

6. Organisms can experience rapid variation due to epigenetic mechanisms.

7. Life is not driven by gene sequences. Genes are driven by lifestyle.

That’s why Intelligent Design and Creation. Don’t get lost.

Trust in GOD

We live in a time that is filled with unrest, especially in the Middle East. Even non-believers wonder what is happening. As always, Scripture can answer this question.
God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 15, of descendants as numerous as the stars, was extraordinary considering the age of Abraham and Sarah. The elderly couple, tired of waiting on God, decided to help the plan along (Gen 16). This impatience caused them to use the Egyptian servant, Hagar, as a surrogate. Abraham conceived a son with Hagar, named Ishmael. This was not the son of promise.
After Abraham and Sarah had Isaac, contention arose between Hagar and Sarah, regarding Ishmael and Isaac, as to the question of the blessing and covenant of the firstborn of Abraham. Who would be the child of promise? As a result, Hagar and Ishmael were sent away, settling in the wilderness of Paran.
Ishmael returned as Abraham was nearing death. He received a blessing from Abraham which was prophetic. Genesis 16 tells us that Ishmael will be a wild donkey of a man, against everyone and everyone against him. This was fulfilled, but there is another piece of the puzzle.
Another dispute arose when Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of stew. Their mother, Rebekah, and Jacob then conspired to steal Esau’s blessing , fooling Isaac in the process. As a result, a bitter Esau moved away and married the daughter of Ishmael, His half uncle. This is a double whammy of bitterness and resentment toward Abraham and his descendants. Both Ishmael and Esau had a problem with the Hebrews. Ishmael did father 12 tribes who became the Arabs. See Genesis 28:8-9.
The prophecy of Ishmael, a wild donkey of a man, his hand against his brothers, and everyone against Ishmael, is an ongoing prophecy which we see today.
Now, in 2017, we see the fruit of trying to interfere in GOD’s promises. The Arab nations are on fire. They can’t get along with each other. Nor do they get along with Jews and Christians. For sure there are some who do try and assimilate and join with others in friendship. But those aren’t the ones driving the prophetic timeline forward. It’s Ishmael and Esau’s grudge in the 21st century.

How millions of years changed to thousands

How to make a cave fish in just a few thousand years

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/04/how-make-cave-fish-just-few-thousand-years

Excerpt: “How long does it take for a cave fish to evolve from an open-water swimmer? Only a few thousand years, according to a new study. Scientists used to think that ice age glaciers covering northern Europe had prevented fish from colonizing the continents’ caves. Such species were thought to live no farther north than Pennsylvania’s Nippenose Valley. But a new cave-dwelling fish discovered in southern Germany 2 years ago is turning that assumption on its head. The pale, tiny fish with long, whiskerlike barbs sprouting from its head (above) is a new species of loach, as yet unnamed. It’s also the first cave fish to be found in Europe, 760 kilometers farther north than those in Pennsylvania.

Until 12,000 years ago, Europe and its caves were buried beneath glacial ice, which blocked any connection between above- and underground waterways. But as the glaciers retreated, sinkholes and springs formed around Germany’s upper Danube, connecting the river to extensive caves and streams 250 kilometers below. Some fish made their way in, becoming smaller, with pale scaleless bodies, large nostrils, and tiny eyes—all adaptations for living in the dark, the scientists report in today’s issue of Current Biology. Based on their genetic analysis, the scientists say the cave loach is a close relative of the darkly mottled stone loach, which is twice the size of the cave fish, and still swims in the sunny, open waters of the Danube River.”

My comment: Previous pseudoscientific studies claimed that the blind cave fish gradually experienced mutations during millions of years and that natural selection helped the fish to evolve and adapt to dark, lightless environment. Incredible nonsense! How many ‘scientific’ studies were made using this claim as a starting point? And people believed in them! Of course, because science, the god of wisdom, so claimed. How sad.

Modern scientists already understand that adaptation for living in the dark doesn’t take even thousands of years. Instead, it can happen just in tens of generations. And not a single gene sequence alteration is needed for this clever adaptation procedure. How is it done?

There are opsins, light-sensitive proteins in fish skin, eyes and brain. Information of light level is transmitted into neurons in the brain and based on this, certain genes are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms. The necessary information for embryonic gene regulation is transmitted by microRNAs. By this clever, designed mechanism, the blind cave fish is able to rapidly activate it’s eyes after returning into normal environment. It takes only a few generations.

Random mutations or natural selection has no role within these designed mechanisms. Everything points to God’s creation and Intelligent Design. Don’t get lost.

The amazing diversity, beauty, and enigmatic genome of Diatoms

http://reasonandscience.heavenforum.org/t2466-the-amazing-diversity-beauty-and-enigmatic-genome-of-diatoms

Diatoms are one of the most important lifeforms on the planet. Plankton are responsible for 50% of earth’s oxygen. They have a very efficient way to dissipate excess solar energy, known as non-photochemical quenching. The real distinguishing feature of the diatoms is their shells. The valves are heavily embedded with silica (up to 71%). This glass-like wall reflects light creating intricate patterns that are striking and beautiful.

Chris Bowler from the Ecole Normale Supérieure at Paris thinks this clash of concepts just represents our anthropocentric and simplistic world view. “While we might want to call diatoms ‘plantimals,’ these things are much more complex than we think,” he says.

Diatoms have a sophisticated calcium and nitric oxide-based surveillance system for monitoring environmental stresses that can detect the release of aldehydes by its wounded neighbours. 18 Diatoms appear to have a highly mosaic genome, with genes originating from many different sources. Most notably, a large fraction of the genes may have been acquired by horizontal gene transfer (HGT) from bacteria. Although genomic data have shown that HGT — the swapping of genes between species that don’t reproduce with one another — is much more common in eukaryotes than once thought, gene transfer between such distant relatives (diatoms and bacteria last shared a common ancestor a few billion years ago) is rare.

Unless there was no common ancestor of the two.

Researchers at University of Gothenburg have found diatom spores buried in seafloor sediments that were able to revive after more than 100 years in a state of suspended animation.

Diatoms detect and respond to physicochemical changes in their environment using sophisticated perception systems.

At the end of a diatom bloom, massive cell loss usually occurs. In addition to sedimentation and grazing by herbivores, programmed cell death (PCD) of stressed cells is also considered one of the major causes for the decline of algal blooms. 8 The process of PCD executed by a superfamily of cysteine aspartate-specific proteinases (caspases) is a conserved mechanism of cell suicide.

Caspases are the principal proteases that are activated during animal apoptosis and mediate cleavage of a variety of proteins ultimately leading to cell disintegration 6 Caspases have undergone remarkable proliferation and specialization in vertebrates, in which they function in a cascade including several cleavage events. Structural comparisons showed that caspases belong to a distinct class of cysteine proteases, which also includes hemoglobinases, gingipains and clostripains (hereinafter CHF-class, after Caspase-Hemoglobinase Fold). Recent studies that involved a combination of in-depth sequence analysis, structural analysis and direct experiments revealed a substantially greater diversity of caspase-related proteases than previously suspected. In particular, two families of predicted CHF-proteases that are more closely related to the classic caspases than to other proteases of this class, designated paracaspases and metacaspases, were identified

If Darwins survival of the fittest is the goal of evolution, cell suicide is counter-intuitive, and it would make no sense for cells to emerge with proteins specifically with the function to trigger suicide.
If caspases are evolutionarily conserved, it means there was no evolution, but stasis. Conservation is not evolution. its actually the oposit of evolution. Its common parlance that evoution is inserted even where it does not belong. Caspases have to emerge fully setup and functional. (Undoubtedly, similar mechanisms go back even further; scientists just happened to study this mechanism in a favorite lab worm, C. elegans.) There are at least seven genes involved in apoptosis. Failure of apoptotis has serious consequences for inflammation and autoimmunity.

By Otangelo Grasso

Homo naledi

“The latest alleged transitional fossil is the discovery of Homo naledi in a South African cave. By now you should know that every creature in the fossil record is of a creature that was once larger and had to adapt to environmental changes resulting from the Flood. The Flood formed the oceans, which limits vegetation, which decreased O2 concentration, and the Flood decreased the buoyant force, which increased gravity, and all life lived shorter life spans and became smaller over time. And this includes humans. Therefore, Homo naledi is a larger fossil of a smaller primate today, and not a smaller transitional fossil of the much larger human. Unfortunately, every evolutionists is blocked from accepting the logic because of their preconceived ideology that the Bible is wrong and we came from the created, rather than the Creator.

The cranial volume of Homo naledi (~500 cc = Cubic Centimeter) is close to the cranial capacity of the Bonobo (350 cc) and chimpanzee (400 cc) primates, but only ~40% of the cranial volume of humans (~1260 cc in men and 1130 cc in women). Since we know that life had to adapt to a reduction of O2 concentration in the atmosphere resulting from the Flood’s formation of the oceans, then the best interpretation of “Transitional” skull fossils is that they are transitional from the larger primates in the fossil record to a smaller primate today, and not a transitional fossil to the larger human kind.”

Page 189, Origins, The Origin of Matter, Space, Time, and Life.

Evolution is a myth at best (2 Timothy 4:3-4), and a doctrine of demons at worst (1 Timothy 4:1). Either way, do not fall for their pseudo-science that is only an opinion by evolutionary scientists. If you fall for their false doctrine, you will most likely give up on God, be very weak spiritually, or lead others astray. Do not think that you can take the fire of evolution into your bosom and not be burned.

Australopithecus boisei

Australopithecus

“Australopithecus boisei: OH 5 (530 cc) and KNM-ER 406 (510 cc):
All life was once larger and had to adapt to environmental changes resulting from the Flood. Those changes were a 50% reduction in O2 concentration, and a loss of the canopy that resulted in reduced buoyant force, which resulted in an increased net gravitational force. The empirical data that life was once larger is in the entire fossil record, and can be read in the Bible that there were once giants on the Earth.
Look at the image, notice the similar distinguishing features of Astralopithecus and a male chimpanzee’s skull (~450 cc). Specifically the prominent sagital crest, minimal frontal bone, deep brow ridge sulcus, pronounced temporal crest, protruding zygomatic arch, and prominent brow ridge. The entire fossil record illustrates adaptation (changes within their kind, called micro-evolution) and refutes evolution (changes to a different kind, called macro-evolution or Darwinian evolution).”

Quote from Origins, The Origin of Matter, Space, Time, and Life, page 197.

Bottom line, we did not evolve from a smaller primate. Instead, the Australopethicus adapted to changes in the environment and became smaller to the male chimp. Evolutionists are notorious for merely placing skulls according to their ideology of smaller to larger, but the entire fossil record is of life that was once larger and became smaller over time. Completely opposite of the lie of evolution. And this fulfills 2 Timothy 4:3-4 that in the latter days mankind will accumulate teachers to teach a myth. All of academia teaches the myth of evolution.

Transitional Fossils

Quote from Origins, The Origin of Matter, Space, Time, and Life. Chapter 22, Transitional Fossils, pg 188.

Transitional Fossils

“Within the layers of the crust, there are trillions of fossils. They are not rare at all. What is rare and does not exist is a transitional fossil demonstrating a change of kind. Every dead fossil shows that something died, not something that passed on genetic information. Evolutionists say they believe in evolution because of the preponderance of evidence in the fossils. But the fossil record does not support evolution at all; it merely records that something died and was quickly covered up in a brief moment in time and not over millions of years. What does support evolution are the interpretations of the fossils and the clay models that are created to represent what the archeologist’s imagines their find looked like, once upon a time. However, any bone fossil found in the dirt only tells us that a creature died, and it is speculation to suggest that any of their genetic information was passed on, so fossils do not tell us that the specimen had offspring. Photo credit: www.livescience.com.
What about some of those pesky so-called evolutionary missing link discoveries that supposedly prove evolution and debunk creation? They do not exist. They are either falsified findings, or misinterpretations of the evidence, or wrong conclusions because of a lack of knowledge.
When an evolutionist, atheist or theist, show you a skull of an alleged transitional fossil, ask them the gender of the skull, the age of when the decedent died, what strata was the fossil found in, and what percentage of the skull is fabricated to fit the evolutionary ideology? Why are these questions important?
Well, when a creature is growing, there are differences in the cranial volume, skull size, and distinguishing features at varying ages of development. Keep in mind that though the human body stops growing vertically at a certain age, the facial bones never stop developing. As we age, the jaw protrudes, the eye brow ridges protrude, and so forth. We are able to see these developmental differences from a 20 year old face from a 70 year old face. How much more of a difference do you suppose we could visualize from someone living 900+ years, as in prior to the Flood. And for this reason, knowing that the decedent was an adult is not sufficient, one must know the age of the decedent. Photo credit: www.clinicalgate.com.
The other critical bit of information is the gender. There are variations of the overall size, cranial volume, and external features of the skull between the genders as well. Males have a larger skull, larger cranial volume, and more muscle attachments, which results in larger protuberances for those origin and insertion locations. Look carefully at the image of three primates, and notice the differences between the male and female.
It is also important to know what strata the fossil was found in because according to evolutionary doctrine, the strata was deposited in lock-step with evolution. Thus, if an evolutionist won’t tell you the strata the skull was found in, or no one knows, then it is dubious to place a skull according to philosophical order. And lastly, it is vital to know what percentage of the skull was fabricated by an artist. If one adds putty to suit their preconceived philosophical views, and the public is unaware that the artists started with only a tooth, or a clavicle, or a jaw bone, and so forth, that is deceitful. Image credit: www.theistic-evolution.com

Review: Placing skull fossils in philosophical order to suit one’s own preconceived ideology, without knowing the gender, age of the decedent, the strata the skull was found, and the percentage of artistic liberty taken by the artist is reckless. When an evolutionist shows you skull fossils placed in philosophical order to preach evolution, now you know why to question the age of the decedent, the gender, the strata depth, and the percentage of artist’s putty.”

Circular Reasoning

Have you ever been accused of Circular Reasoning by an evolutionists? Don’t be alarmed when evolutionists say that Christians use circular reasoning. For example, “Believers claim the Bible is true because the Bible says it’s true, and the Bible is the Word of God because the Bible tells us so.” I have been persecuted by evolutionists many times with this debater’s tactic, and the following picture is what they will use:

This is just a debate tactic to say that Christians don’t use science and physics and logic. Though the Bible claims to be truth, anyone can study the Bible and find out what it claimed would happen and what has happened. After careful study, we find indeed that the Bible authenticates itself with fulfilled prophecies and accuracy in regard to doctrine, geography, archeology, biology, and all the sciences.

Evolutionists are guilty of the very same thing that they accuse Christians of. They proclaim that one can determine how old a bone is by what level in the soil that the bone came from, and one can determine how old the soil is by what bone comes from that level in the soil. “The rocks do [sic] date the fossils, but the fossils date the rocks more accurately.”1 That statement is circular reasoning and not science, but that is one technique evolutionists will employ. They will accuse Christians of the very thing they are committing—circular reasoning. And this dogmatic belief is so strong that the name geological column is often called the geological time scale.