Information question for non-evos

[David Gould]

Man, evos is an ugly world. Anyhow:

Imagine that there is a sequence of DNA in a particular animal that makes the eyes of that animal blue.

Let us call it, 'atcgatatcg' - it does not matter.

Suppose that due to random mutation and natural selection, this species of animal lost this sequence.

Has information been lost?

Why or why not?



Suppose that a few hundred dozen generations later, random mutations bring this sequence back into existence in the right place for one member of that species. Its eyes are blue - the only member of its species to have blue eyes at that point in time.

Has information been gained?

Why or why not?

 

[MarkT]

Has information been lost?

Why or why not?

No. I'm just guessing but I figure heredity maintains the protein sequence so that information isn't lost. A mutation might inhibit an enzyme or a hormone which might be important to the development of the body. You might get stunted growth for instance. But information isn't lost.

Has information been gained?

Why or why not?

I don't think information is ever gained. You can breed a trait like blue eyes but I wouldn't call it gained information.

 

[Apos]

It's worth noting that in genetics, a mutation can turn a certain gene's exrpession on or off. So you can even make the genome stop expressing the trait... even though the actual genetic information for the trait is still all there. The reverse, of course, can also happen. So is the information "lost," or not?

 

[Jet Black]

No. I'm just guessing but I figure heredity maintains the protein sequence so that information isn't lost. A mutation might inhibit an enzyme or a hormone which might be important to the development of the body. You might get stunted growth for instance. But information isn't lost.

but he said that particular sequence does get lost. you can't just turn round and change his argument.

I don't think information is ever gained. You can breed a trait like blue eyes but I wouldn't call it gained information.

but previously, the gene for blue eyes was not there, and now it is. why is a new gene coding for blueness in eyes not information?

 

[MercuryAndy]

how would the mutations breed?

 

[Jet Black]

how would the mutations breed?

your question makes no sense.

 

[Pete Harcoff]

your question makes no sense.

I think he means how would the mutated organisms breed. But of course, they breed the same way the non-mutants breed. They have sex.

 

[David Gould]

No. I'm just guessing but I figure heredity maintains the protein sequence so that information isn't lost. A mutation might inhibit an enzyme or a hormone which might be important to the development of the body. You might get stunted growth for instance. But information isn't lost.

No, in this instance the protein sequence is gone. It has been bred out of the species.

I don't think information is ever gained. You can breed a trait like blue eyes but I wouldn't call it gained information.

If the trait was, for example, night vision, would information have been lost or gained?

Why or why not?

If so, what makes that different from the colour blue in eyes.

If not, can you give me an example of something that you would consider to be a loss or a gain of information.

 

[David Gould]

how would the mutations breed?

Are you claiming that blue eyed animals cannot breed with hazel eyed animals? My parents would beg to differ.

 

[Praxiteles]

your question makes no sense.

I'm fairly sure that his tongue and his cheek are in very close proximity.