Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA26918 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 29 May 2000 14:06:30 +0100 Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745880@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Jabbering ! Date: Mon, 29 May 2000 14:04:29 +0100 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Perhaps a biologist should answer this one for us, since I see your point.
I remember Stephen Jones, when asked about primate rights and this
similarity was put to him (by a journalist), he retorted sharply that humans
share 75% of our genes with horses, and 50% with something else... yeast I
think he said, but I can't remember! Anyway, he said as a result it was a
specious argument.
This genetic closeness has raised issues in science fiction (e.g. The Gor
Saga) because humans and chimps, I believe, are close enough to inter-breed
(like horses and donkeys).
What I mean is that it is in the small area of difference that the
distinctiveness of human behaviour may reside, such as the PCDX gene I
mentioned in my other posting today, which if I remember correctly from the
magazine article isn't found in other primates, and may have some to do with
human language (not just because other primates don't have it, but its
function is something to do with receptors in nerve cells making it
important in things like brain function... or something).
Vincent
> ----------
> From: Robin Faichney
> Reply To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Sent: Monday, May 29, 2000 12:29 pm
> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
> Subject: RE: Jabbering !
>
> On Mon, 29 May 2000, Vincent Campbell wrote:
> >
> >As a friend of mine once said of all those people who go on about us
> sharing
> >98% of our genes with apes said, it's the 2% difference that matters.
>
> Umm, "matters"? Depends on the context, surely.
>
> I'm going to display my ignorance here, again, but I do believe that's
> about
> the best way to learn. What about this calculation whereby I'm supposed
> to be
> half as likely to endanger my own life to save my grandchild, as my child,
> the
> idea being that my child has half my genes, while my grandchild has only a
> quarter. How does that square with the notion that I share 98% of my
> genetic
> material with any chimp?
>
> --
> Robin Faichney
>
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This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
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For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit
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