So, Corey, I'm curious to what you mean by a "mad scientist" aspect of gene mutation. Are you referring to science-controlled births? I think that we can easily discuss both genetically modified animals and plants (NOT BORING! :P) AND gene mutations, for they're along the same lines. However, gene mutations usually happen naturally (through the heriditary line). Also, there are mutations that are only active in certain races and genders. We all have mutated genes, and I think this fact is mind-boggling. Surprising, no, but when you take into consideration how specialized our bodies are, it's kind of scary knowing that you're a carrier of mutated genes. Most are not harmful, but tore had a great point. After much repetition, it's bound to continue it's mutation. As for genetically modified animals and plants - I think we've been doing this for awhile now. More so with plants than animals, I think. Does anyone know of a specific example of genetically modified animals? Does cloning count? My thoughts are kind of scattered about this topic, but I'm definitely interested for sure.

Also, for future posts, Corey, maybe you should do a little bit more research on the topic before you dedicate an entire thread to it. Not trying to bash you or anything, just some suggestions.

Some of my favorite genetic mutations:
http://www.marveldirectory.com/pictu...en/xmen70s.jpg

^ Oh hells yeahs. :D

X-men Origins!!!! :eek:

I was just going for the mutants per square inch factor.

I think people are not fully grasping mutations quite yet. Mutations give rise to genetic diversity and while the chance of it happening is "rare", there's so much DNA in every one of us that if you think in totals, they happen all the time. We have enzymes that try to repair our DNA as best as they can but they can't prevent all of it. We accumulate mutations as we get older. For example many things that lead to cancer are things that cause mutations. It doesn't take thousands of years to get blue eyes, that mutation could not be there in one generation, then suddenly it's there in the next. The eyes are blue because there's less pigment .. In other words, something happened to a gene that caused there to be less pigment in the eyes than usual.

It could take thousands of years until that gene has become successful and spread around in a population. However, time as such depends more on the generation time and how successful the mutated gene is compared to it's "unmutated" version.

I write "unmutated" because all our genes are results of mutations. In other words, this thread is about something entirely natural which happens in all of us and not really something controversial .. at least not yet.

Its essentially the process of genetic adaptation and evolution on a microscopic scale w/ a whole lot of trial and error thrown in for good measure; not to imply that the mutations are intentional.

Yes .. Every now and then a gene will mutate and the new version will, purely by chance, be a slight improvement meaning that having the new version will be a slight advantage to the organism carrying it compared to having the old version. And as SATCHMO says, that's part of evolution.

Usually, the successfulness of a gene is relative. If you have a gene that makes a rat brown and then a mutated version of that gene that causes the rat to become black, you can imagine that in some cases, it will be most beneficial to be brown but in some cases, maybe it's better to be black.

In other words, the successfulness of a new potentially competitive mutation depends on many things and evolution is about adaptation and so one should be a bit careful with the word "improvement". People shouldn't think of evolution as climbing up a ladder. ;)