File 025589
Email Chain on Gene Duplication and Evolutionary Biology (File 025589)
Email correspondence between Robert Trivers, Alan Rogers, and others discussing gene duplication, subfunctionalization, and evolutionary theory, with references to commentary on Trump's personality traits.
Summary
Robert Trivers responds to Alan Rogers regarding Peter Richerson's comments on gene duplication and evolutionary mechanisms. The exchange discusses subfunctionalization as an evolutionary process, heterozygote advantages using sickle cell trait as an example, and the rarity of asexual heterozygote propagation. Trivers concludes by noting agreement with Gordon Getty's assessment of Trump as a narcissistic psychopath, framing the discussion as part of a broader intellectual exchange.
From: Robert TriversSent: 4/14/2018 5:06:12 PMTo: Alan Rogers [ ; Jeffrey Epstein [jeevacation@gmail.com]CC: Gordon Getty Oliver Goodenough [ ; Tim Kane• Rob Hanson ; Paul Zak [ ; Bobby McCormick; Terry Anderson ]; Clive Crook [ ]; Matt Ridley]; Gerry Ohrstrom; Lee SilverMonika Gruter Cheney [ ; Dane Stangleriliron Bailey[r•i; Anna Dreber ; Anula Jayasuriya [];I:ul Romer[i]; Mike Cagney Evan SmithRoger Edelen ]; Bill Prezant [M]; John Mallen [Halligan [ ; Marguerite Atkins []; Ditsa Pines [(David Darst [ ];president@usfca.edu; Clair Brown [Richerson, Peter JSubject: Re: Free Growth (09-29-17) part 2.pdfImportance: Highyes Alan i think you are; Ms. Yvette Robbins; Alex.Family Pines; Jimyou are referring to duplication of a gene—there are many such genes including those produced byretrotransposons (as evidenced by lack of introns)—where a gene has two separate effects and there is anadvantage to having a gene with each effect you will often prefer two genes to one, because of less interferencein fitness effectsPeter was talking about a gene with a single effect—sickling—and the other allele is the normal one—theheterozygote destroys malaria within red blood cells at trivial cost and there is no cost at all if malaria is notpresent—by contrast homozygous sickle individuals suffer lifetime effectsPeter was trying to conjure up a heterozygote that propagated asexually but this requires a chiasma betweenneighbouring genes, a very rare event and hence it usually leads rapidly to mutational decay of one of the twocopies, i.e. so-called pseudogenes, of which there are many in our genomein hasteOn Thu, Apr 12, 2018 at 11:02 PM, Alan Rogers <____________________> wrote:I haven't read whatever Pete wrote, but if I understand Bob correctly,Pete must be talking about subfunctionalization:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SubfunctionalizationIf so, it's not a radical suggestion. It's thought to be the process thatgave rise to all multi-gene families. Michael Lynch discusses it in hisbook, The Origin of Genome Architecture.Am I missing something?AlanOn Thu, Apr 12, 2018 at 3:03 PM, Robert Trivers <> wrote:HOUSE OVERSIGHT 025589here is my latest and final comment on Peter Richerson's comments on Gordon's idea about Trump being anarcissistic psychopath—a view with which i firmly agreei have learned a lot by thinking through all of Peter's argumentation but i have not learned much thatcontradicts either my biases nor reality herselfall best wishesOn Fri, Sep 29, 2017 at 5:26 PM, Gordon Getty < n> wrote:Friends and Family,Here's my latest on free growth theory. Tell me if I'm making any progress in my old intelligibility deficit.I'm also working on a new version without math.HOUSE OVERSIGHT 025590