This spring, the world learned of a newly discovered missing link between microbes and humans called Lokiarchaeota. The actual story is that the microbe Lokiarchaeota, discovered on the deep sea floor by a hydrothermal vent called Loki’s Castle, shares features with both bacteria and us. The spin is that this makes it a missing link between the two. Microbiologists have been discreetly quiet about this narrative fiction; although the microbe is fascinating, and so deserves the spotlight, it is no more a missing link than the platypus is a missing link between ducks and humans.
This missing link imagery, based on the idea that evolution is a methodical process with logical, continuous connections to be discovered and mapped, might set up a good story. But it’s wrong – and can detrimentally influence our understanding of immediately threatening processes like the rapid evolution of flu.
The Great Chain of Being
The notion of missing links in evolution comes from medieval theology’s Great Chain of Being, an idea that survived Darwin and still persists. It is compelling – not least because you-know-who winds up at […]
As anthropologist and human ( not pinnacle) I totally agree, am also suspicious of the very common projections back of the date of the ‘first human’, ‘first culture’, ‘first musical instrument’ etc etc etc. MUCH older in my opinion, as is slowly being recognised, don’t you agree? How short-sighted even good science can sometimes be.
Not that I dismiss theology totally – a lovely myth (sometimes), and, like poetry, a route to understanding ourselves – so long as we recognise it for what it is. Like fiction. In a way I think my dream (dreams – the origin of much scientific discovery after all, e g Einstein) that originated my novel ( ‘Black Inked Pearl’) is, in its riddling way, as sure a guide to ourselves and our destiny as the truth of evolution – so long, again, as we recognise it fir what it is, a poetically expressed insightful novel.
I’d love to know if any – scientists, novelists, poets, even perhaps painters ( there must be some out there?) – agree??
Long live science! AND poetry …