----Original Message Follows---- From: "Decatur Blanchard" <[email protected]> Reply-To: [email protected] To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [DNA] Re: Cryptic Backup Copy of Genome - "Hothead Gene" Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 10:18:20 -0500 As a Southerner and a student of biology I suggest that the unspecified greater mutation rate attributed to people in warmer climates is just as likely to be caused by other exposures, if it exists at all. Keep in mind that these families before 1900 lived free of food additives (other than salt as a preservative), in relative isolation, without air pollution (other than wood smoke), and without chemical or barrier birth control. My father, born in 1904, had eight brothers and one sister His father had ten children. None of these lines have been DNA tested except mine. My 12-marker FTDNA results match exactly the 12-marker results of two distant cousins who trace separately to the same Benjamin Blanchard born about 1700 in North Carolina. No mutations at the 12-marker level. We do know that ambient temperature affects fertility of the male animal. It is a sperm count issue. I haven't estimated the conception dates of these 10-children families relative to ambient temperature, but, fertility did not seem to be a great problem. Before we get concerned with grester mutation rate associated with greater ambient temperatre we need to see the data that support such a conclusion. Decatur Blanchard, DVM ============================== Search the US Census Collection. Over 140 million records added in the last 12 months. Largest online collection in the world. Learn more: http://www.ancestry.com/s13965/rd.ashx