polygeny

HURDLE NUMBER 53. THE POLYGENY HURDLE.

Most traits (or characteristics) in an animal are controlled (or produced) not by one single gene, but by many genes “working” together. This fact is referred to as Polygeny (many genes), and it creates a very serious obstacle for Darwinian evolution. To appreciate the seriousness of this obstacle, let me quote from the book Cell Biology, by E.J. Ambrose (Professor of Cell Biology at The University of London) and P.M. Easty (Senior lecturer in Cell Biology, Chester Beatty Research Institute), published by Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd., 1970), page 324:-

“In each generation there must at some stage be a reduction division involving a HALVING OF THE CHROMOSOME NUMBER, otherwise the body cells of each generation would contain twice the chromosome complement of those of the parents. - - - - - It is in fact during gamete formation (ie:- joining of sperm to ovum) that reduction division occurs. The whole process was given the name Meiosis (or reduction).”

Bearing the above fact in mind, the following argument is put forward by Walter James ReMine, in his book The Biotic Message, published by St Paul Science, 1993, page 193:-

Imagine that a beneficial trait has just arisen (ie:- in a single particular animal) due to a rare combination of five genes. When the animal mates, during “gamete formation”, reduction division (Meiosis) occurs, so that HALF OF THE GENES ARE REMOVED. The first of these five genes has a 1 in 2 chance of being removed. The second of these five genes has a 1 in 2 chance of being removed. The third of these five genes has a 1 in 2 chance of being removed. The fourth of these five genes has a 1 in 2 chance of being removed. The fifth of these five genes has a 1 in 2 chance of being removed. A simple calculation in probability theory shows that there is only ONE CHANCE IN THIRTY TWO THAT ALL FIVE GENES WILL BE PASSED ON TO THE OFFSPRING.

Demonstration - - - - [1 ÷ (0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5)] = 1 chance in 32.

The odds increase (unfavorably) drastically as the number of genes involved in the particular trait increase. MOST HIGHER VERTEBRATES HAVE LESS THAN THIRTY TWO OFFSPRING. In that case, it is a statistical fact that THE BENEFICIAL TRAIT CANNOT BE PASSED DOWN TO FUTURE GENERATIONS. The constant halving of the genes in every generation would prevent this. The only way such a beneficial trait can be passed to future generations is if it is already embedded in the whole population of the particular species. NEW beneficial traits cannot “take hold” in a species, because of the problem of Meiosis.

There is a further point to be made here:- If a beneficial trait is “composed” of many (let’s say five) genes, then a single point mutation in just one gene cannot produce a beneficial trait. It would be very improbable that FIVE mutations (and all the “right” five at that!) would all occur simultaneously. In that case, it is very unlikely that a beneficial trait could form to begin with. Then, if it has “bucked the odds”, and formed, it is still all in vain, due to the process of Meiosis, as outlined above. Even if it again “bucked the (1 chance in 32) odds”, the chance of this beneficial trait surviving into the second generation are 1 chance in (32 x 32) = 1 chance in 1024. Getting to the third generation faces odds of 1 chance in (32 x 32 x 32) = 1 chance in 32,768 By the fourth, fifth, sixth – etc. generations, this beneficial trait is “dead in the water”. Once you do the probability theory, it is obvious that Darwinian evolution simply doesn’t work! Something OTHER than Darwinian evolution “embeds” beneficial traits into organisms.