The Evolution of Imperfection with Laurence Hurst

Описание: If we start with the presumption that evolution is a constantly improving process, some aspects of our evolution just do not make sense. We have a high rate of genetic diseases, for example, and much of our DNA seems to be pointless.

Join Laurence Hurst, author of The Evolution of Imperfection, as he explores our apparently rotten genetic luck. Laurence, a leading authority on evolution and genetics from the University of Bath, will argue that our evolutionary imperfections proceed directly from two features: the difficulties of pregnancy and the fact that historically there are relatively few of us. In pregnancy, natural selection can favour chromosomes that kill embryos in species (including ours) that continuously receive resources from the mother. Most fertilised eggs don’t make it, and incompatibilities between the foetus and mother can lead to lethal disorders of pregnancy. The historically small population size enhances the role of chance, which in turn leads to both accumulation of unnecessary DNA and more mutation.
So what can save us? One answer may lie in genetic medicine, which has given us therapies that make killer conditions preventable and even curable. Laurence will suggest that our seeming imperfections could be the key to a new way to understand evolution itself. Looking at circumstances that seem to defy explanation, we might come to a richer understanding of how evolution really works and what it means to be human.

Laurence D. Hurst is professor of evolutionary genetics in the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath. His research on how genetic systems evolve, and the application of this knowledge to medicine, has been recognized with national and international prizes and fellowships.


TIES NEW BOOK:
Written by members of the Teacher Institute for Evolutionary Science who have tackled the topic of evolution in their classroom for decades, "On Teaching Evolution" offers practical advice and sample lesson plans for fellow science teachers. Learn about what inspired them to love teaching evolution and the experiences that help guide their teaching practices.

“If you can read this, thank a teacher” So runs a favorite t-shirt slogan. This book inspires me to coin a variant: “If you understand why you exist and rejoice in that understanding, thank a science teacher.” More specifically, thank a teacher of evolution." - From foreward by Richard Dawkins

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