Evolving proteins in snakes

June 30th, 2008 midwifetoad

Panda’s Thumb

And so it is. Some of the most successful predators of small amphibians are another herpetological marvel, the garter snakes, Thamnophis. Unfortunately, if you feed ordinary garter snakes a diet of rough-skinned newts, they tend to move more and more slowly as the innervation of their skeletal muscles undergoes a toxin blockade, and if they eat enough, they die. This is not a good thing from the snake’s perspective, although the newts do get revenge and their relatives benefit from the subsequent reluctance of snakes to eat them. It also presents an evolutionary opportunity, in that resistance to TTX in snakes can be a real advantage, since they won’t die and they’ll be able to feast on squishy purplish-brown and orange tubes of meat.

This is happening right now. Populations of garter snakes, T. sirtalis, in California, Oregon, and Idaho are showing different degrees of resistance to TTX, and these differences are being traced right down to specific changes in the amino acid sequence of the snake sodium channel. It’s happening repeatedly, too, with different populations independently acquiring different variations that confer differing degrees of resistance.

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Jindal watches goodwill evaporate

June 29th, 2008 midwifetoad

Jindal watches goodwill evaporate

Of this, there can be no dispute: Gov. Bobby Jindal’s honeymoon is over.

The consensus at home is that Jindal lost his luster by declining to veto the Legislature’s lavish pay raise. But Jindal is also playing to a national audience these days, and on that front, he’s taking a different sort of hit.

While Louisiana voters are up in arms over the revelation that Jindal is not above cutting political deals, the deal killer elsewhere in the country could be an unrelated bill that he signed last week, state Sen. Ben Nevers’ “Louisiana Science Education Act.”

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Do You Like Rehashed Ken Ham?

June 26th, 2008 midwifetoad

Slide show.

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Conservatives Confronting Creationism, continued.

June 20th, 2008 RWA

       One of the most disheartening developments for us pro-science types has been the passage of the grossly misnamed “Academic Freedom” Bill in Louisiana, awaiting only the signature of its governor to become law. Sure, we’ve seen a similar flurry of such state legislation lately, but most of them mercifully were either DOA or, as in the case of Oklahoma’s recent bill, but few have sailed through with such ease, or are in such danger of becoming law of the land. Worse yet is what it will to do for the already currently funked-out state of American conservatism. Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal has been hailed as the next great leader of the Republican party, but with his sympathies to teaching ID already well known, he is danger of not only shouldering responsibility for depriving a generation of Lousianans the science education they need, but becoming the straw that broke conservatism’s back. If he signs the law, he will confirm in the eyes of many that the future of the Republican party remains in the hands of theocrats for whom Biblical idolatry takes precedence over the defence of the Constitution.

          Maybe that’s why we are (finally!) starting to see conservatives shout louder, following the spirit, if the not the letter of Bill Buckley in yelling STOP! to what is perceived as an inexorable path towards a certain direction. Of course, the indefatigable John Derbyshire is among them, with a post title meant to invoke Reagan’s greatest quote. AllahPundit of HotAir is also on the case, offering video of and commentary on Jindal’s dodge on the issue, and LGF offers the full text of the LA Coalition for Science’s letter to Jindal, as well as choice comments from his former genetics teacher.  Lately, LGF head Charles Johnson has been blogging more on science issues, including evolution. I particulary enjoy his running “OOPS” gag, as used here and here. For some reason, it never gets old…probably because its targets never give up.

    It pays to say it again: creationism is not conservative. As Milton Friedman said of economics, there is no left-wing or right-wing science, just good or bad science, and people across the political spectrum should stand united for good science, as much as they do for common decency.

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Should Evolutionists Be Allowed to Vote?

June 13th, 2008 midwifetoad

CSA News

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New group stands up for sound science education in Louisiana

June 12th, 2008 midwifetoad

Jun 12th, 2008

Press Release: Reject SB 733
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New group stands up for sound science education in Louisiana

LA Coalition for Science decries House support for SB 733, calls for Senate to reject bill
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Why you shouldn’t blame Republicans for energy crisis

June 12th, 2008 Desty Nova

Republicans didn’t kill offshore wind.
Republicans didn’t kill nuclear power.
Republicans didn’t kill oil shale.
Republicans didn’t kill offshore oil drilling.
Republicans didn’t kill geothermal.
Republicans didn’t kill hydro.
Republicans aren’t trying to kill wind power.
Republicans aren’t trying to kill solar power.

One rule commonly used to solve the problem of meetings going nowhere is: “don’t block a solution unless you have a better one that replaces it.” Maybe Congress should start thinking along these lines.

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Louisiana House Passes Academic Freedom Bill on Evolution

June 12th, 2008 midwifetoad

Discovery Institute

Baton Rouge — By a vote of 94-3, Louisiana’s House of Representatives today passed an academic freedom bill that would protect teachers and school districts who wish to promote critical thinking and objective discussion about evolution and other scientific topics.

There was no vocal opposition, and the floor speech by Rep. Frank Hoffman made clear that the bill was about science, not religion.

Good luck guys. It worked for you in Dover.
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The Behetitudes

June 11th, 2008 midwifetoad

Blessed are the Expelled, for their Cup runneth over at the mouth.
Blessed are they who seek to know nothing, for they shall never be disappointed.
Blessed are they who who shun enlightenment, for they shall escape illumination.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for comforting words, for the supply is endless.
Blessed are they who supply easy answers, for they shall have royalties.
Blessed are the innumerate, for they shall be uncountable.
Blessed are those who, without you, dwell in darkness, for it will go away.
Blessed are the slow, for they shall never see it coming.

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Behe Evolves

June 11th, 2008 midwifetoad

A few days ago we reported on a major new paper dealing with the results of a twenty year laboratory experiment in evolution. During the course of 30,000 generations of E.coli bacteria, a new and significant trait evolved, the ability to use the citrate found in the culture medium as a food source.

Comments are beginning to roll in. Car Zimmer has a rather complete description of the experiment. Pharyngula has a lengthy commentary, which is cross posted at Panda’s Thumb.

But the most amusing comment comes from Michael Behe, whose Book, The Edge of Evolution argues that traits requiring two or more coordinated mutations are beyond the power of Darwinian evolution. Behe reposts his blog at Uncommon Descent, wisely hiding behind the pseudonym “Patrick.”

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