Scientists reverse evolution

[Janus]

US researchers have taken a mouse back in time some 500 million years by reversing the process of evolution.
By engineering its genetic blueprint, they have rebuilt a gene that was present in primitive animals.

The ancient gene later mutated and split, giving rise to a pair of genes that play a key role in brain development in modern mammals.

The scientists say the experiments shed light on how evolution works and could lead to new gene therapy techniques.

Evolution reversed in mice (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5245950.stm)

[Dooga Aetrus Blackrazor]

Wow, that is amazing. To bad we didn't speed it up first instead of reverse it. :)

[Janus]

I'm not sure how exactly one could quicken evolution; it would take more than some tests in a lab to do that.

[encephalon]

I'm not sure how exactly one could quicken evolution; it would take more than some tests in a lab to do that.

Genetic algorithms, that's how. Of course, you'd have to know the exact environmental conditions of said gene.. but really, we can adequately predict the mutation of a gene under given conditions. We just don't know which conditions would be used for a mouse in future generations.

[Janus]

Yeah, we could mutate and evolve R strategist organisms pretty quickly due to their breeding habits but there really doesn't seem to be a point as we could technically evolve them in any way we wanted to and make them adapt to just about any type of environment if we chose.

[ComradeRed]

But wait, genetic algorithms (at least in programming) are probabilistic (or as the textbooks tell ya, stochastic). How do you reverse a random thing? :huh:

[Janus]

They reconstructed an ancient gene or at least copied it in function.