... Science Frontiers ONLINE No. 36: Nov-Dec 1984 Issue Contents Other pages Home Page Science Frontiers Online All Issues This Issue Sourcebook Project Sourcebook Subjects Evolution Of Man And Malaria Malarial parasites are customarily classified according to the species infected and then further subdivided by morphology and biological characteristics. The two assumptions implicit in this classification procedure, which is supposed to mirror actual historical evolution, are: Malarial parasites evolved in parallel with their hosts; and Morphology is a measure of evolutionary relatedness. With modern biochemical techniques it is possible to test these assumptions by comparing the DNA structures of the different malarial parasites. P. falcipa rum, the parasite transmitting the most deadly human malaria, turns out to be more closely related to rodent and avian malaria than the other primate malarias. Therefore, assumption # ... above is in correct in this view. Assumption #2 is also wrong because some species of malaria parasites which are very similar morphologically are quite different DNAwise. (McCutchan, Thomas F., et al; "Evolutionary Relatedness of Plasmodium Species as Determined by the Structure of DNA," Science, 225:808, 1984.) Comment. The article does not draw attention to still another assumption; namely, that similarities are measures of evolutionary relatedness. If this as sumption isn't correct, evolutionary family trees based on bodily structure, which means most of the family trees in the textbooks, may not truly reflect what really happened in the development of life. Further, if malarial parasites did evolve along with their hosts, hu man evolution seems farther removed from the evolution of ...
Terms matched: 2 - Score: 397 - 15 May 2017 - URL: /sf036/sf036p08.htm
... Anomalous Effect of Radon Exposure on Lung-Cancer Incidence BHH32 Father's Radiation Exposure Increases Cancer Incidence in His Children BHH33 Atavistic Nature of Cancer BHH34 The Ubiquity of Proto-Oncogenes BHH35 Cancer Incidence Correlated with Organism Complexity BHH36 Survival of Human Genetic Diseases Despite Natural Selection BHH37 Survival of Human Viral and Bacterial Diseases Puzzle of Human Motion Sickness Origin and Increase of Asthma Efficiacy of Homeopathy Pregnancy Increases Susceptibility to Malaria Cancer and the Extracellular Matrix Autism Correlated with Season of Birth Electrical Shocks Cure Snake Bites Organ Transplants Transfer Allergies SID Correlated with Geomagnetic Activity Advantages of Blood-Letting Efficacy of Acupuncture Heath Correlated with Psychological Disturbances AIDS Associated with Black Plague Survival Geography of Stroke Incidence Longevity Anticorrelated with Reproductive Success AIDS May be Man-Made BHI INTERNAL SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES BHI1 High Complexity and Sophistication of the Immune System BHI2 ... Aerial Transportation Techniques BBB17 Unusual Forms of Terrestrial Locomotion BBB18 Unusual Hunting Strategies BBB19 Cooperative Hunting BBB20 Prey-Handling Puzzles BBB21 Avian Prey and Food: Some Misconceptions BBB22 Unusual Sexual Behavior BBB23 Avian "Sperm Wars': Cloaca Pecking BBB24 Unusual Mating Systems BBB25 Two Species with a Common Nest BBB26 Determination of Clutch Size BBB27 Exotic Objects and Eggs in Nests BBB28 Unusual Methods of Heating and Cooling Eggs BBB29 Brood Parasitism: How Did It Begin BBB30 Disparities between Parasite Host Adaptations BBB31 Tolerance of Parasite Chicks BBB32 Tolerance of Parasite Eggs Even When They Are Recognized as a Threat BBB33 Murder for Purposes Other Than Food and Brood Reduction BBB34 Infanticide BBB35 Siblicide BBB36 Information Processing in Migratory Behavior BBB37 Uncommon Groupings of Birds BBB38 Flock Synchrony BBB39 Flight Formations BBB40 Avian "Courts" and "Funerals" BBB41 Avian Graveyards BBB42 Huddling ...
Terms matched: 2 - Score: 163 - 15 May 2017 - URL: /cat-biol.htm
