Science Daily reports:

A team of geneticists demonstrated that the emergence of mammary glands in placental mammals and marsupials results from recycling certain ‘architect’ genes. The latter, known as Hox genes, are responsible for coordinating the formation of the organs and limbs during the embryonic stage. Such genes are controlled by complex regulatory networks. In the course of evolution, parts of these networks were reused to produce different functions. Architect genes were thus requisitioned to form the mammary bud and, later, for gestation. [Emphasis added.]

Note the words highlighted in bold. Recycled? Reused? Requisitioned? Architect? Would you care for some teleology with your evolution?

Here’s a fun exercise. Try to re-write this report and avoid using the teleological action verbs imputed to ostensibly blind, dumb evolution.

But you can’t really blame the writer, because the paper’s authors themselves use purposeful action phrases such as “evolved by hijacking” and “co-opt” (“Control of Hoxd gene transcription in the mammary bud by hijacking a preexisting regulatory landscape,” PNAS).

For an undirected process, evolution sure does know what it’s doing. Evolution, if you’re free tonight, do you mind making dinner for our family?

Photo: Koala mom with joey, a marsupial, by Benjamint444 (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons.