MadSci Network: Evolution
Query:

Re: I couldn't fit my quesiton in thie box, so i wrote i bwloe, 'see below'

Date: Thu Dec 9 10:27:15 2004
Posted By: Ewen McLaughlin, Lecturer, Chemistry, Swansea College
Area of science: Evolution
ID: 1102561406.Ev
Message:

The simple answer is probably 'no'.

It depends on how you measure successful evolution - impressive 
complexity or sheer numbers? If it's sheer numbers then it's probably 
best to have a simple genome (and hence few enzymes). A simple genome is 
easy to reproduce quickly.

Impressive complexity would seem to demand more complexity with enzymes, 
but it's not a simple relationship. There are many species with larger 
genomes than humans, for example; although by many measures humans are 
impressively complex things.

Genome complexity correlates to cell size and negatively correlates to 
rate of reproduction: 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?
cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12188045&dopt=Abstract




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