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'Ohno' in Evolution by Gene Duplication was the first scientist to recognise that existing genes are not free to evolve. Ohno realised that natural selection preserves the functionality of existing genes. If an existing gene evolves into a new gene, the original gene is lost. If the initial gene offered any benefit to the animal, its loss would be a competitive disadvantage. Thus, natural selection locks existing genes into place. Most biochemists and molecular biologists understand and agree with Ohno's logic.
"Yet, being an effective policeman, natural selection is extremely conservative by nature, from a bacterium only numerous forms of bacteria would have emerged. The creation of metazoans, vertebrates, and finally mammals from unicellular organisms would have been quite impossible, for such big leaps in evolution required the creation of new gene loci with previously non-existent functions. Only the cistern which became redundant was able to escape from the relentless pressure of natural selection, and by escaping it accumulated formerly forbidden mutations to emerge as a new gene locus." -Ohno
"As long as a particular function of an organism is under the control of a single gene locus, natural selection does not permit perpetuation of mutations which result in affecting the functionally critical site of a peptide chain specified by that locus. Hence, allelic mutations are incapable of changing the assigned function of genes." -Ohno
Since macroevolution requires new genes, Ohno's observation is very important. It shows that numerous, successive, small changes to an existing genes are not cumulative. Thus, the traditional explanation for the evolution of new genes (numerous, small, successive, random changes driven by natural selection) is no longer plausible. More importantly, this observation shows that the processes responsible for creating new alleles do not create new genes. Thus, microevolution cannot be extended to support macroevolution, and the extrapolation on which the theory of evolution is based is invalid. Genes that do not exist cannot offer a selective advantage.
Genes that do not exist have no beneficial or detrimental effect. They have no influence on the variation found in life. Natural selection cannot preserve genes that do not exist. Nor can it preserve the evolving precursors to new genes until they offer some competitive advantage. And once this precursor offers a competitive advantage, it is a gene. This means that natural selection does not play a role in the evolution of new genes. Natural selection only optimises existing genes. Mutations and genetic drift must explain the origin of new genes, as natural selection is not involved.
Microevolution: gene à new allele. Mutations in existing genes create new alleles. Some alleles are selected by chance, genetic drift. Beneficial alleles are preserved by natural selection. Thus, both genetic drift and natural selection help create new alleles. Through this process animals and plants can adapt to changing environmental conditions.
Macroevolution: precursor to gene à new gene. Mutations create variability in the precursor. The precursor offers no selective advantage so natural selection does not operate on the variability created by mutations. Chance determines which variations survive. Only genetic drift is involved in the origin of new genes.
Evolutionists often overlook this self-evident truth when they claim that natural selection is responsible for the complexity of life. Natural selection has no role in the evolution of complexity, because it has no role in the evolution of new genes. The evolution of new genes depends upon chance and chance alone.