Fathers pass on four times as many new genetic mutations as mothers
Kari Stefansson, a researcher at the Icelandic genetics company, deCODE, which led the study, said that while new mutations led to variation in the human genome, which is necessary for evolution to happen, “they are also believed to be responsible for the majority of cases of rare diseases in childhood.”
The result of the study concludes that a 30 year old male parent passes on average 45 "gene mutations" to their offspring.
Of course this can be interpreted in many ways. We could also use this evidence to support designer babies with the understanding that there may be disease causing gene mutations.
- How do you think this result should be interpreted?
- Do we need follow up studies?
- If rare diseases can be detected and cured prior to birth should we do it?
Geneticist John Stanford (who invented the gene gun) has showed that the human genome is deteriorating, and that the human race will last at most some 200 generations before dying of accumulating mutations, mostly passed on from father to son. This is because most mutations are harmful, but also so slight that they cant be detected and thus acted upon by natural selection - either survival of the strongest or sexual selection. Very harmful mutations can be eliminated from the genome by natural selection. Very few mutations are actually beneficial, and they aren't enough to counter the harmful ones.
This claim is of course incredibly controversial. Few have even heard of it, which is understandable. I read his book and found the arguments compelling.
He also points out that the maximum age of humans hasn't increased at all, only the median and average lifespan.
We are lucky to be living in an age where too much harm hasn't yet happened, but where we have good treatments for diseases and technology to make life comfortable.
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X-men (:
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Sadly in the current society we are pushing the age of parenthood ever further into our 30s and even 40s. We attend schools/colleges until we turn ~25 and build careers the following years. And along with living ever longer, this trend doesnt seem to stop any time soon, only worsen.
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No on know how long they will live and where you live has an impact on longevity too. So any national statistics about how long people live I tend to ignore, but if it's very localized like down to a city, then I would pay more attention. How long will people live in Flint Michigan?
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While I agree that the expected lifespan largely comes down to the specific environment, but it also boils down to the ever greater achievements in medicine. We "create" 5 new illnesses only to find a cure to 10 old. And with how globalised the world is (becoming) the medication is now, more than ever before, omnipresent. We are blurring the lines between cities, countries, continents; aswell as blurring the lines between nationalities, races, cultures. I wpuld argue that we are in fact killing off individual cultures but thats a story for another time ^^
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I don't see medicine as being as effective as you might believe. The diseases which kill people change but people still are dying. Maybe less children are dying so I'll give you that but then people who are old still are dying. Also the cost of treatment is extremely expensive and prevention isn't done because of costs.
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dana could u expand on how where u live has an impact on longevity. thanks
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I think a more accurate study will be to examine sperm genetincs of same males at differeng ages
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I would not overinterprete the results without having a second age cohort as comparison. We know that everybody carries several gene mutations, but since we have two sets of chromosomes (except the "Y") most of them do not impact health. To target those mutations to design more robust babies, I would not recommend. Such an approach was started once already in the beginning of the 20th century, was called "Eugenics" and led to some unpleasant developments. To control our own evolution is very dangerous. Who decides which way to go? I have no trust in our leaders (if we know them) by looking at the status of our economic system, the wealth distribution, pollution situation etc. so I don´t want them to mess around with our gene pool.
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@dana-edwards Disease May can be cured before birth with proper Vaccination !
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If the evidence is concrete then its better for the males to follow this. Thanks for sharing!
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nice article, i feel like a man should evolve and get better in life, after that a child should be created.
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Before you know it we'll be producing babies from a lab only...
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Great post @dana-edwards. This study should be counter checked.
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Evidence called high divorce rates also suggest that both men and ladies shouldn't rush into anything when they aren't exactly sure of themselves in the first place.
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Good luck broo
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