Lucy in Newsweek

[Ken Kinman]

Herb wrote:
Ken -
Thanks for the thoughts and I am still thinking about them. However, are you sure parasites don't "create their hosts?" What about the bacteria Wolbachia which seem to be able to increase the percentage of females in species they infect? In some Hymenoptera Wolbachia can change male eggs in to females by preventing first cleavage and producing diploid eggs. Nor am I convinced that DNA create their host anymore than I am convinced that IQ is entirely genetically determined. I might also remind you that proteins created by DNA are subject to post transciptional modification resulting from the cellular environment.
I tend to see evolution as a hierarchal and forces working at gene level are not necessearily those work at the species level.
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Herb,
    Well, Wolbachia might be able to mess with the details and change a male hymenopteran into a female hymenopteran, but it can't "create" a hymenopteran.  No hymenopteran DNA-----no hymenopteran.  The IQ thing seems likes comparing apples and oranges to me (different parts of the evolutionary hierarchy, if you will).  Your third argument is rather interesting, but intracellular environment is itself largely created by DNA in a sort of hierarchical cascade (even though overall environment may influence how much of a given protein is produced at any particular time).   But it too close to bedtime for me to thoroughly digest all the possible ramifications of that particular argument.  There are so many levels to the hierarchy of evolution that it boggles the mind even under the best of circumstances, and its been a long day.  :-)
             ------ Cheers,
                        Ken