The Elephant Shark Finally Has its Genome Sequenced
Scientists this month reported on the whole-genome sequencing of the cartilaginous fish, the elephant shark, the first complete analysis of any of the non-bony fish [1]. These fish are very […]
Tag Archives: evolution
The Symbiotic Gene
“I shall argue that a predominant quality to be expected in a successful gene is ruthless selfishness” (Dawkins, 1976). So wrote the evolutionary biologist, Richard Dawkins, in Chapter One of […]
An Update on My Current Work: Bald Mice & Autism Genomics
I gotta be honest: my brain is pretty fried this weekend. After each sentence I type here I find myself staring off into space snatching some microsleep. Ya ever feel […]
Continuing the Debate on “Function” in Junk DNA: Rethinking the Onion Test
“From our very early days we learn to react to situations with the appropriate responses, linguistic or otherwise. The teaching procedures both shape the ‘appearance’, or ‘phenomenon’, and establish a […]
Olfactory Receptor Genes: An Ancient & Unusual Subset of the Vertebrate Genome
Compared to vision and audition, the sense of smell is an exceptionally ancient one. And you might be surprised but the ability to detect odorous particles (also known as chemosensation) […]
BRAINS, BRAINS, BRAINS!!! Evolution of the Human and Mammalian Brain
Why is the brain so fascinating? As far as humans go, even though paleoanthropologists consider “bipedalism” to be the earliest characteristic which made the line of Homo unique, we all […]
A Few Tidbits about Epigenetics: The Methylome
The Methylome is a new toy of genetic science. It adds yet another level of complexity “above genetics”, responsible for affecting patterns of gene expression and, relevant to my line […]
Our Latest Study: The Link between Mobile Element Content and Autism-risk Genes
“An extremely large number of genes have been associated with autism. The functions of these genes span numerous domains and prove challenging in the search for commonalities underlying the conditions. […]
Responses to the ENCODE Project: When Scientists Have to Deal with Beetles in Boxes
How is the word “function” like a beetle in a box? No, this isn’t a twist on the Mad Hatter’s “Why is a raven like a writing desk?” As I’ve […]
Okay, Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One: A Sea Squirt and a Sponge Walk into a Bar…
“For nature moves continuously from lifeless things through things that are alive but not animals.” ~Aristotle Aristotle was fascinated by sponges. He could never quite figure out what they were […]
Science Over a Cuppa 
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