RE: Gene Mutations and Beneficial Effects

From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Fri May 30 2003 - 22:30:38 MDT

  • Next message: Michael M. Butler: "Re: Gene Mutations and Beneficial Effects"

    On Fri, 30 May 2003, Party of Citizens wrote:

    > Selective breeding using the existing gene pool is primarily if not solely
    > responsible for agricultural improvements. It is assumed that the gene
    > pool changes due to mutations but I have never seen proof of this.
    > Until then I would not say that mutation has any proven benefit to
    > agricultural improvement.

    You may want to Google on "green revolution" and "dwarf rice".
    I believe that dwarf rice are a result of a mutation in the
    sd1 (semi-dwarf 1) gene. If one doesn't consider the "green
    revolution" an "agricultural improvement" (probably feeding
    millions of more people than would be fed without the sd1
    mutation) then I don't know what would be.

    But go ahead... raise the bar a little higher and if I'm
    really ambitious tomorrow I'll see if I can leap over it.

    :-)

    Robert



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