[tt] The saltation or macromutation debate

[Hughes, James J.]

Transhumantechers - 

Now that we find the human genome only has 20,000 genes, and that the
genome is thus highly hierarchical and modular, it seems very likely
that we could achieve some dramatic effects with human genetic
engineering.

This would also seem to suggest - at least to a layman like me - that
evolutionary history would have involved many abrupt transitions. This
was the idea in Greg Bear's Darwin's Radio novels BTW.

Olivia Judson, an evolutionary biologist and book author recently
suggested this in her essay:

"The Monster is Back, and It's Hopeful" 
http://judson.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/22/the-monster-is-back-and-its-h
opeful/

For which she has taken a lot of flack from evo-devo types who don't
believe in sudden genetic jumps:

http://scienceblogs.com/loom/2008/01/24/hopeless_monstersa_guest_post.ph
p

You transhumantech big brains have an opinion? I often have to answer
the question "If X is the product of a zillion genes, how could genetic
engineering ever accomplish x enhancement?" and I often have answered
that a hierarchical genome will allow us to create dramatic effects once
we find the right couple of levers.

Am I wrong?

------------------------ 
James Hughes Ph.D. 
Executive Director, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies 
http://ieet.org 
Associate Editor, Journal of Evolution and Technology 
http://jetpress.org 
Public Policy Studies, Trinity College 
http://internet2.trincoll.edu/facProfiles/Default.aspx?fid=1004332 
Williams 229B, Trinity College 
300 Summit St., Hartford CT 06106
(office) 860-297-2376
director at ieet.org