Conflict Resolution

Abstract

The tasks of evolutionary bioinformatics (EB) are to identify the forms of information that genomes convey and show how potential conflicts between different forms are reconciled. Apparent redundancies (e.g. diploidy; Chapter 2), and beliefs in the existence of ‘neutral’ mutations (Chapter 7), and of ‘junk’ DNA (see Chapter 15), tended to support the view that there is much vacant genome space. Hence there is ‘room for all’ in the journey of the genes through the generations. Suggestions that there might be conflicts between different forms of information were not taken too seriously. However, when genomic information was thought of in the same way as the other forms of information with which we are familiar (Chapters 2-4), it became evident that apparent redundancies might actually play important roles – error – detection and correction, and much more. The possibility of conflict could no longer be evaded. The essential argument of this book is that many puzzling features of genomes can best be understood in such terms, as will be emphasized in this and subsequent chapters.