In the early days of genetics, genes were thought to be solitary entities. Now it's well understood that genes operate in complex networks and that gene mutations can have multiple detrimental effects. A new study reconfirms mutations are a major roadblock for evolution.¹

A recent paper by an international team of researchers shows that the skill of some songbirds to extemporaneously innovate musical repertoire equals that of human musicians.¹ Since none of the apes have this complex human-like capability, the discovery poses a big problem for the evolutionary model of human origins.