If life evolved from non-life through natural processes, then the organism most likely to resemble the first living cell would probably be the parasitic bacteria of the genus Mycoplasma. It has very little DNA and contains only a small number of proteins, and yet is a functional organism. This “primitive” cell, however, is proving to be anything but simple.

A 19th-century poet spoke of "nature red in tooth and claw,"¹ and the sometimes gruesome deaths that became integral to the concept of Darwinian evolution certainly occur. But sometimes animals play. If nature is inexorably locked in a battle for the survival of the fittest, where did frolicking come from?

Transposons are a class of “mobile genetic elements” that operate within the DNA of living organisms. For years, macroevolutionary proponents have claimed that their presence undoubtedly supports Darwinian evolution.

Researchers recently analyzed bacterial DNA that was found in small pockets within various salt deposits. The focus of their research was to compare differences in DNA sequences taken from different geological ages. However, the very fact that DNA—with its short half-life—was found at all comes as a surprise to those who were thoroughly convinced of the material’s great ages.

For several decades, United States Department of Agriculture horticulturists have collected and studied apple trees from around the world. Their research focuses on disease resistance as well as similarities in DNA sequences among various strains. Their latest fruit finds have interesting implications for the origins of apple trees.