Researchers Trace Molecular Evolution

Researchers report finding for the first time a step-by-step process explaining the evolutionary creation of molecules.

The scientists, whose findings are published Friday in the journal Science, say they reconstructed ancient genes from long-extinct animals to show how evolution reuses existing parts to recreate new pieces of molecular machinery.

We wanted to understand how this system evolved at the molecular level, said Joseph W. Thornton, professor of biology at the University of Oregon and lead author of the paper. There’s no scientific controversy over whether this system evolved. The question for scientists is how it evolved and that’s what our study showed.

Researchers say the findings offer a strong argument against evolution doubters who question how a progression of small changes could produce the intricate mechanisms found in living cells, The New York Times reported.