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Published online 17 September 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.1117

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Getting to the bottom of evolution

Genetic study investigates the origin of the anus

It may not be the sort of thing to discuss over dinner, but research is opening a lively debate on the origin of the anus.

Today, two evolutionary biologists have published genetic evidence in Nature1 that they claim refutes the leading theory of anal evolution.

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  • The evolution closing and opening mechanism needs to be studied to get a more thorough understanding of this important issue.

    • 18 Sep, 2008
    • Posted by: A KALAISEKAR
  • really a interesting topic,we need to research more on orifice on animal,especially human.

    • 18 Sep, 2008
    • Posted by: zhang daosong
  • While two of the main apertures of the Homo sapiens, namely the mouth and anus are situated on antonymic positions, however, clearly both are located to take advantage of our planet's gravitational force. Thus clearly we were designed for this planet and also may have evolved to an extent on this planet. Dr. Upinder Fotadar

    • 18 Sep, 2008
    • Posted by: Upinder Fotadar
  • Hi, Genetic study investigates the origin of the anus. The anus the end part of the digestive system evolutionary must be considered in the perspective of the digestive system. Evolution is not individual. Regards Dr. Terence Hale

    • 19 Sep, 2008
    • Posted by: Terence Hale
  • Seems at least some of those arguments are ass-about-face...B-)

    Sorry!

    • 19 Sep, 2008
    • Posted by: Ed Rybicki
  • God does not play dice with universe. holes are made for, enter and exit. macro holes are seen and discussed where as micro holes perform without discussion but there has to be a hole for exit too. who made anus ? probably the same creator who made mouth.

    • 20 Sep, 2008
    • Posted by: surya kumar Tripathi
  • So, this is the search for the Ur-anus then? They say opinions are like A-holes, everybody's got one. Yeah, now they do. But who had the first one? Enquiring neurons want to know.

    • 21 Sep, 2008
    • Posted by: Michael Orlowski
  • In the Protostomia, which constitute the vast majority of animal species, the mouth comes from the blastophore which is the first opening to develop in ontogeny. In the Protostomia, this opening becomes the mouth as the name implies. In the Echinoderms and the Chordates, including ourselves, the blastophore is associated with the future anus, which is why these two phyla are members of the Deuterostomia. Mouth becomes anus. It is difficult to imagine any more fundamental differences, isn?t it? These differences certainly can?t be dismissed lightly as insignificant; rather they suggest a polyphyletic origin of life. Cheers, Peter

    • 23 Sep, 2008
    • Posted by: peter borger
  • Lest ignorance continue to rear its puckered head, and for the sake of poster(ior)ity, I believe it is imperative that we probe this issue further and get to the bottom of these penetrating evolutionary questions...no ifs, ands, or butts about it. In the anals of modern science, we have yet to even scratch the dimpled surface of the potential knowledge to be gained, and this is a situation that needs to be rectufied immediately. Sincerely, Curt Colon...err, Coman

    • 27 Jan, 2009
    • Posted by: Curt Coman