Blind Fish Origin
by Owen Borville
July 31, 2024
Biology, Biosciences
Blind fish are aquatic organisms have adapted to life in dark or lightless environments.
Cavefish (Amblyopsidae) are small freshwater fish are commonly found in caves, underground lakes, pools, rivers, and streams in the eastern half of the United States. They lack functional eyes and have specialized adaptations for life in darkness.
Mexican Tetra (Astyanax mexicanus), also known as the blind cave fish, this freshwater fish belongs to the Characidae family. This fish inhabits dark cave systems in Mexico and has lost its eyesight due to living in lightless environments for generations.
Astyanax mexicanus, or blind forms of the Mexican tetra, (Astyanax mexicanus) have been observed in caves. These fish have adapted to life in darkness by losing their eyes, according to evolutionists.
Contrary to the assumption that mutations disabled key eye development genes, recent research reveals a surprising twist. Instead of genetic mutations, the loss of eyes in cavefish is primarily due to epigenetic changes. Specifically, chemical tags called methyl groups silence the eye development genes.
Epigenetics is the study of how environmental factors and behaviors can affect how genes work, without changing the DNA sequence.
This epigenetic mechanism allowed cavefish to shed their eyes more rapidly than if the change had occurred via DNA mutations. Some scientists even speculate that the cave environment itself triggered these epigenetic changes.
Blind cavefish are an example of convergent evolution. Multiple populations independently lost their sight and pigmentation as they adapted to their lightless habitats.
These fish rely on other senses like smell and touch to navigate their surroundings.
However, because of the existence and observation of a non-blind variation of the same fish, it could be that vision in these fish varieties is a trait or sense that can be turned off when not needed and turned back on when needed.
Since the cave tetra fish did not need vision and used other senses, Intelligent Design allows these senses to be "turned off" when not needed, without "millions of years" of evolution.
Research has also indicated that blind cave fish can regain their eyesight within one generation.
In other words, the transformation from vision to blindness to vision again is not the process of random evolution over millions of years, but rather the product of Intelligent design in these tetra cave fish so that their vision can be disabled when not needed and other necessary senses are used. The vision is also restored when needed as part of the same Intelligent Design.
While some argue that this challenges standard evolutionary theory, others maintain that the epigenetic change likely resulted from genetic alterations. Regardless, the study of blind cavefish provides valuable insights into the interplay between genetics, epigenetics, and adaptation.
sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080107120911.htm
newscientist.com
livescience.com
facts.net
evolutionnews.org
nationalgeographic.com
en.wikipedia.org
bing.com
medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/howgeneswork/epigenome/
by Owen Borville
July 31, 2024
Biology, Biosciences
Blind fish are aquatic organisms have adapted to life in dark or lightless environments.
Cavefish (Amblyopsidae) are small freshwater fish are commonly found in caves, underground lakes, pools, rivers, and streams in the eastern half of the United States. They lack functional eyes and have specialized adaptations for life in darkness.
Mexican Tetra (Astyanax mexicanus), also known as the blind cave fish, this freshwater fish belongs to the Characidae family. This fish inhabits dark cave systems in Mexico and has lost its eyesight due to living in lightless environments for generations.
Astyanax mexicanus, or blind forms of the Mexican tetra, (Astyanax mexicanus) have been observed in caves. These fish have adapted to life in darkness by losing their eyes, according to evolutionists.
Contrary to the assumption that mutations disabled key eye development genes, recent research reveals a surprising twist. Instead of genetic mutations, the loss of eyes in cavefish is primarily due to epigenetic changes. Specifically, chemical tags called methyl groups silence the eye development genes.
Epigenetics is the study of how environmental factors and behaviors can affect how genes work, without changing the DNA sequence.
This epigenetic mechanism allowed cavefish to shed their eyes more rapidly than if the change had occurred via DNA mutations. Some scientists even speculate that the cave environment itself triggered these epigenetic changes.
Blind cavefish are an example of convergent evolution. Multiple populations independently lost their sight and pigmentation as they adapted to their lightless habitats.
These fish rely on other senses like smell and touch to navigate their surroundings.
However, because of the existence and observation of a non-blind variation of the same fish, it could be that vision in these fish varieties is a trait or sense that can be turned off when not needed and turned back on when needed.
Since the cave tetra fish did not need vision and used other senses, Intelligent Design allows these senses to be "turned off" when not needed, without "millions of years" of evolution.
Research has also indicated that blind cave fish can regain their eyesight within one generation.
In other words, the transformation from vision to blindness to vision again is not the process of random evolution over millions of years, but rather the product of Intelligent design in these tetra cave fish so that their vision can be disabled when not needed and other necessary senses are used. The vision is also restored when needed as part of the same Intelligent Design.
While some argue that this challenges standard evolutionary theory, others maintain that the epigenetic change likely resulted from genetic alterations. Regardless, the study of blind cavefish provides valuable insights into the interplay between genetics, epigenetics, and adaptation.
sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080107120911.htm
newscientist.com
livescience.com
facts.net
evolutionnews.org
nationalgeographic.com
en.wikipedia.org
bing.com
medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/howgeneswork/epigenome/