The Y chromosome is making a comeback. It’s not junk, it’s an “evolutionary marvel.”
Live Science had this to say: “The Y chromosome may have gotten a bad rap. Despite the claim that this male sex chromosome is mostly junk, new research suggests it’s actually a lean, mean, highly evolved machine for producing the fittest males possible.”
What is said new research? A study presented at a genetics conference last week disputed two claims: (1) that the Y chromosome is junk, and (2) that variation in the male sex chromosome is due to a few “alpha males” passing on their genes. As for the latter, the study suggests more monogamy in human history than previously assumed; if anything females were more promiscuous.
As for the junk myth, the article explained:
The researchers’ models showed that evolution probably weeded out a lot of the variation that happened randomly throughout history. But evolution didn’t just cull harmful gene changes: it also reduced the variation in the one-third of the Y chromosome composed of highly repetitive strings of letters.
Those strange regions don’t code for proteins, which carry out a gene’s instructions in the body, but Wilson Sayre’s results suggest they are probably doing something useful or evolution would have not have reduced how much variation they contain. Some scientists have suggested those regions prevent the Y chromosome from degenerating, but their exact purpose remains a mystery.
Whatever mysteries remain, the new study counters earlier claims that men were on the way to extinction, genetically speaking.
Let’s get this straight. When the Y chromosome was junk, evolution was keeping junk around. The new study claims that evolution produced a lean, mean, highly evolved machine. When the Y was degenerate, evolution didn’t care to maintain it. The new study claims that evolution engineers the Y to create the fittest males possible. When there was variation, evolution varied it. When variation was low, evolution cleaned it up. Evolution wins! No matter how opposite the claims, evolution can’t lose.
For integrity in science, we don’t need old men like Darwin and his degenerate X-men spreading materialistic junk. We need strong leaders who understand design. How about a new Y’s Men Christian Association.
[2012/11/13] Y’s Guys Have a Marvel, Not Junk
