Endogenous Retroviruses as Proof of Evolution (An Executive Summary)

URL: https://barryhisblog.blogspot.com/p/endogenous-retroviruses-as-proof-of.html

1. There are elements in our DNA that appear to have been inserted into (integrated with) our species' germ-line DNA by retroviruses. For evidence of this, go here. We call these elements endogenous retroviruses or "ERVs".
2. Retroviruses cannot target specific DNA loci when they integrate with a host's DNA. 
3. This viral DNA, integrated with the DNA of every one of your nuclear cells, at the same point (locus), going from cell to cell, means that they have been inherited from your ancestors, rather than acquired from the environment. Infections from the environment result in integrations in different loci, and they do not appear in every cell. 
4. The vast majority of ERVs in your DNA are also present in the DNA of chimpanzees, in precisely corresponding DNA loci. This means that humans and chimps must have inherited the same ERVs from ancestors common to both species.
5. Although elements of ERVs are known to perform useful, and even essential functions, no complete ERVs exist in our genomes. A complete working copy of a retrovirus (a provirus) would prevent development from a zygote. Some elements of ERVs appear to do nothing, and others are implicated in genetic diseases. The idea that ERVs were part of the original "design" of our genomes is a non-starter.
6. There is often talk about the similarities and differences between the genomes of humans and chimpanzees, and how the percentage comparisons can differ depending on the comparison method used. But common ERVs are not mere "similarities". Each common ERV is a copy of a copy of a copy etc. of a single  integration of a retrovirus with the DNA of a single individual's gamete. That gamete is ancestral to all humans and chimpanzees. 
   
7. Although some people who call themselves Christians (or followers of Islam or Judaism) claim that science is incompatible with their faiths, this is by no means universal. Many denominations and organisations accept the reality of evolution. One of the best-known experts in this field happens to be a Christian preacher. 
8. I use the word "proof" in the title even though many people shy away from it in the context of science, saying that proof belongs to axiomatics and the measuring the alcohol content of beverages, but it has been used in the legal sense, of "proof beyond reasonable doubt". There are no reasonable doubts about what these ERVs tell us.
   
   To study this in more depth, go to https://barryhisblog.blogspot.com/p/endogenous-retroviruses-frequently.html