MadSci Network: Evolution |
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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