John Demboski wrote:
>> "Molecular evolution belongs in the realm of biology, not biochemistry or
> molecular biology" (????)
>> "Studies beyond the gene or protein are beyond the realm of biochemistry or
> molecular biology" (in other words if it is not addressed in Stryer it's
> not biochemically related - species, populations, etc.)
>
It seems to me that molecular evolution embraces at least two major areas:
use of molecular techniques to trace evolutionary relationships, and using
evolutionary comparisons to understand how genetic systems evolve. If
hard-core biochemists don't want to have any claim to molecular systematics,
then that's their loss. If they're uninterested in how the molecular
systems that they study have evolved to be the way they are, then they have
a superficial understanding of their systems.
Keith Landa
Department of Biology
Marian College
Indianapolis
http://darwin.bio.marian.edu
