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From: dan@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP (Dan Breslau)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: Re: Re: An aquatic phase in human evolution?
Message-ID: <125@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 4-May-84 15:31:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: gargoyle.125
Posted: Fri May  4 15:31:46 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 5-May-84 01:36:50 EDT
References: <4128@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Organization: U. Chicago - Computer Science
Lines: 32


>>	Isn't there a rare recessive gene for webbed fingers and toes?
>>	Dan Breslau  ...ihnp4!crsp!gargoyle!dan

>	May I point out that according to the "generally accepted" paths but
>	which humans evolved, there did exist a period of human evolution
>	which was spent under water. We (and I use the term loosely) were
>	not of the homo sapien species at that time however; rather we
>	resembled something like a fish, as am example. To my knowledge,
>	genes don't just vanish, except in the case of mutation. Have a look
>	as some photographs of the embryonic phases of most mammals and
>	fishes (and birds, and ...) and note the striking similarities. Note
>	also that there is probably a "rare recessive gene" for gill slits!
>	(not :-) )

Yes, of course.  "Oncogeny recapitulates phylogeny."  First of
all, yes, genes *do* vanish from a species -- especially if
they're dominant, and a hinderance to survival.  That's basic
Darwinism.  If they're recessive, they may disappear, or simply
become very rare.  I strongly doubt that any there is a gene
left for gill slits in humans -- past the embyronic stage --
because such a gene is a negative survival trait.  Nor do any
humans lay eggs, although our distant ancestors in the sea did.

I was simply suggesting that this trait (webbing in fingers and
toes) could have evolved during the (relatively recent) aquatic
stage.  I actually consider it more likely than that the gene
is a holdover from an even more remote time.

Dan Breslau

...ihnp4!crsp!gargoyle!dan