Interesting. Can you suggest some good books on evolution that would appeal to a lay person? I am very interested in natural history.

In his book, Sean Carroll wrote that Eukaryota share traits of both bacteria and archaea. I was re-reading that part when I lost the book. I think it fell under the bed where it is irretrievable for me (disability issues).

Damn. I've lost a phone, several books and other important stuff to that bed. I'll have to get someone to move it for me soon.

Anyway, I was under the impression that the marriage of archaea and bacteria had something to do with mitochondria and the cells in plants that allow for photosynthesis: the energy centers. I was just re-reading that when I lost the book.

Maybe it isn't under the bed...I hope not.

Anyway, another book on evolution (including the Homeobox genes) would be wonderful. My education was completely religious so I was denied an education on evolution. I should sue!

These are proofs?

heyeverybody, you really need to educate yourself.  You don't even know what constitutes a proof.   Your thinking is unclear and you see everything through the delusion of faith without considering the evidence laid out for you by others.  Surely deludedgod has shown you that you don't know the first thing about evolution.  I can assure you that you are equally ignorant of many other things.  We all are.

The first step to knowledge is acknowledging your own ignorance. 

This is much more interesting than talking with that other guy, and orders of magnitude more lucid... 

Developmental biology does not seem to have its fair share of popular science books. Has PZ Myers written anything accessible on the matter? 

Yes. He is referring to ESPs. An ESP is a Eukaryotic Specific Protein. Any protein which is unique to Eukaryotes and is not possessed or needed by any prokaryotic cellular machinery is an ESP. ESPs are believed to have been built from recombinative innovation from the proteome of Prokaryota. all Eukaryotic fibrous ESPs have homologous and recombinative relationship to fibrous proteins in prokaryota, even if the ESPs have adapted for the purpose of cytoskeletal structure. For example, tubulin is definitely a protein which we can trace easily back to firbrous proteins before Eukaryota, but its function as the modular domain for the assembly of microtubules is mostly Eukaryota specific (however, the cytoskeletal mechanism can also be present in prokaryota) . This relationship is evident in any examined fibrous protein, such as keratin, elastin, collagen etc. Most molecular biologists have concluded that ESPs are constructed by module domain reassembly from the prokaryotic proteome.

However, there are still loads of unaccounted for ESPs and we need to be able to solve them, if they cannot be found to be homologously related to the Prokaryotic Empire of archaea and bacteria. It is well known that aechae bear greater resemblance to Eukaryota in terms of cellular machinery for replication, transcription, translation and repair of genetic information and that bacteria better resemble the eukaryotic methods of metabolism and energy conversion, anabolic and catabolic process.

 

Eukaryotic cells can be classed as either plants or animals or fungi as well as some blurrily classified protozoa. Ancient Eukaryota originated as predators. They had a fluid highly flexible cell membrane that allowed them to envelope and capture nutrients. This function is retained in some cells like T-Cell lymphocytes, Leukocytes, and other cells in the immune system. This fluidity also allowed them to capture small bacteria. This is believed to be how our organelles in the cells came to be. There is a huge amount of compelling evidence that mitochondria, lyosomes, peroxisomes etc all the organelles inside the cells, are ancient bacteria that have since evolved into a symbiosis with the Eukaryotes.

To look at how plant cells diverged from this, we need to understand a tiny little bacteria family called cyanobacteria.

These little bacteria may have been the first life forms in existence. They are known to have existed for almost 3.8 billion years. They perform a process called photohydrolysis. It is a precursor to photosynthesis. These organisms were the first photosynthesizing life forms. Indeed, they were responsible for creating todays oxygen-based atmosphere. 

If the Primordial Eukaryotes would simply trundle along engulfing hapless prey, the plants were ancient Eukaryotes that swallowed the cyanobacteria. They became incorporated into the Eukaryotic machinery, allowing it to do what the bacteria does. Which is to obtain glucose by photohydrolysis.

And if the cells can do that...there is no need to chase after prey anymore. The plant cells were revolutionaries. They made the transition from hunting to farming around two billion years ago. So they lost their fluid bilayer (dont need it anymore) replacing it with a rigid cellulose wall which was useful for stacking chloroplast cells. They lost their ability to engulf. A process which by the way is called phagocytosis.

How do you know this? Have you spoken to the animals? How do you know that they don't have their own customs and myths?  A little presumptuous, I think. Perhaps you just want the world to revolve around you, with your all-powerful, all-knowing god who cares so much about you and only you.  -Triften

Thanks, triften.  I was going to say this.

Many animals are a lot more intelligent than some people think.  Whether or not they have religion is moot.  Actually, I kind of hope they aren't afflicted with our neuroses. 

I think the best place to look for evidence of religion would be chimps and bonobos (obviously).  I've seen arguments that hominids up to Homo ergaster did not have religion. So far, there is no evidence of ritual or that they buried their dead.  I believe the only two hominids that are known to be afflicted with religion are Homo sapiens and Homo neanderthalensis.

I wouldn't take this to the bank.  There could be evidence of religion in other hominid species that has yet to be uncovered.  I wonder if Dr. Jane Goodall has observed anything that made her wonder if chimp society has the beginnings of religion?

That would be a fascinating Google...off to the Internets™!