Claim CB100:
Evolution requires mutations, but mutations are rare.
Source:
Morris, Henry M. 1985. Scientific Creationism. Green Forest, AR: Master
Books, pg. 55.
Response:
- Very large mutations are rare, but mutations are ubiquitous. There is
roughly 0.1 to 1 mutation per genome replication in viruses and 0.003
mutations per genome per replication in microbes. Mutation rates for
higher organisms vary quite a bit between organisms, but excluding the
parts of the genome in which most mutations are neutral (the junk DNA),
the mutation rates are also roughly 0.003 per effective genome per cell
replication. Since sexual reproduction involves many cell
replications, humans have about 1.6 mutations per generation. This is
likely an underestimate, because mutations with very small effect are
easy to miss in the studies. Including neutral mutations, each human
zygote has about 64 new mutations (Drake et al. 1998). Another
estimate concludes 175 mutations per generation, including at least 3
deleterious mutations (Nachman and Crowell 2000).
Links:
Harter, Richard. 1999. Are mutations harmful?
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/mutations.html
References:
- Drake, J. W. et al. 1998. See below.
- Nachman, M. W. and S. L. Crowell. 2000. Estimate of the mutation rate
per nucleotide in humans. Genetics 156(1): 297-304.
Further Reading:
Drake, J. W., B. Charlesworth, D. Charlesworth, and J. F. Crow. 1998.
Rates of spontaneous mutation. Genetics 148: 1667-1686. (technical)
created 2001-2-17
