Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!uunet!ig!rutgers!who.rutgers.edu!brothers
From: brothers@who.rutgers.edu.UUCP
Newsgroups: ru.flame,sci.bio,bionet.molbio.plant
Subject: Re: 4- and 5- leaved clovers: evidence for environmental disturbance?
Message-ID: <1343@who.rutgers.edu>
Date: Thu, 24-Sep-87 15:27:15 EDT
Article-I.D.: who.1343
Posted: Thu Sep 24 15:27:15 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 26-Sep-87 11:09:29 EDT
References: <1341@vanhalen.rutgers.edu>
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 15
Keywords: mutations, radioactivity, stern physics lab
Xref: utgpu junk:5833 sci.bio:603 junk:5834

Mutations might be caused by mutagens or other chemicals which would
damage a cell's genetic information. But things like cosmic rays,
background radiation, etc. could have the same effect, as could some
random fluke of chemical bonding during mitosis. 

Some scientists have some pretty weird sounding theories about
"evolutionary leaps", etc. which I don't really subscribe to.

On the other hand, I think it probably has something to do with
Reaganomics, or maybe Albanian Maoism/Stalinism is to blame.
-- 
			 Laurence R. Brothers
		      brothers@paul.rutgers.edu
            {anywhere}!rutgers!paul.rutgers.edu!brothers
		       "One life -- one arrow."