Freethought & Rationalism Archive

MrDarwin · 10-01-2002, 07:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by GeoTheo:
<strong>Basically these portions of Chimp and Human DNA are compared through a process called "hybridization" </strong>

Is anybody actually doing DNA hybridization anymore? It gives a very (and I mean very) rough estimate of similarity, and I thought comparisons were now being done directly, by actual letter-by-letter base sequences.

lpetrich · 10-01-2002, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jesse:
<strong>Can we still be confident that humans are more closely related to chimps than the other great apes, or might this new study call that into question? Does anyone know how much of our DNA we share with Gorillas and Orangutans?</strong>

It would certainly be interesting to use that method to compare human and chimp genes with gorilla and orangutan genes, but it would be a big surprise if this method yielded a different branching pattern.

In the work so far, several genes have yielded the pattern (((human chimp) gorilla) orangutan), so if that is incorrect, then one will have to find out why these genes yielded an incorrect result.

Doubting Didymus · 10-01-2002, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Mr D:

Is anybody actually doing DNA hybridization anymore? It gives a very (and I mean very) rough estimate of similarity, and I thought comparisons were now being done directly, by actual letter-by-letter base sequences.

I share your suspicion. However, hybridization is still used quite often, particularly in student studies that are not meant for publication.

Quote:

Jesse:

Can we still be confident that humans are more closely related to chimps than the other great apes, or might this new study call that into question?

If this test is what I think it is, then it should set back all the other primate comparisons by a similar amount, including comparisons between non-human primates.

RufusAtticus · 10-01-2002, 05:23 PM

GeoTheo, if you need help email me. I'm TAing undergraduate genetics this semester.

GeoTheo · 10-02-2002, 02:02 PM

Hey, Thanks!

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10-01-2002, 05:23 PM	#34
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	GeoTheo, if you need help email me. I'm TAing undergraduate genetics this semester.

10-02-2002, 02:02 PM	#35
GeoTheo Veteran Member Join Date: May 2002 Location: Bemidji Posts: 1,197	Hey, Thanks!

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