Maximum potential of retroviruses to alter species

[Jed2020]

Greetings,

I have a question w/r the maximum potential
effect of retroviruses in evolution.

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given:
1) Allegedly the sea anemone DNA has some human DNA ????
2) Atavisms such as human tails and whale legs
3) Allegedly some human placenta functions came into genome via retrovirus????

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My questions:
Is it possible that retroviruses can transfer significant chunks of DNA from
one organism to another such that the receiving organism incorporates
it into its genome - and even makes use of it?

If so then to what degree of significance?

(if not retroviruses then any other form of horizontal gene transfer)


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Consequences:
1) If such horizontal gene transfer is possible then might atavisms be
explained this way?
( Creationist then says humans were created with no tail DNA
and a retrovirus burgered the genome up adding DNA for tails. )


2) If such horizontal gene transfer is possible then might the
sea anemone/human DNA connection be explained this way?


3) Does the tree of life become a little more horizontal and less vertical?

4) Pseudogene proof that apes and humans had common ancestor negated?
- written off as common retrovirus infection instead of common ancestor.


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Seems like horizontal gene transfer might throw a whole lot of
monkey wrenches into the gears w/r several topics.




Thanks
Jed

[Dancing David]

Probably a good idea to link your sources like this

www yoursource com

[Wowbagger]

I think it is very unlikely that humans and apes would only share common retro-virus infusions, rather than common ancestors, but for argument sake, let us assume this is discovered to be true.

In this "worst" case scenario: The specifics of the processes of evolution are altered in light of these discoveries. It would not impact the Theory of Natural Selection, in general, since the viruses (and their targets) are still acting according to that process - just in different ways than we thought.

There is still no evidence of an act of Creation in this process, so I.D. and creationism would continue to have no ground in the science of biology.

It would be evolutionary biologists making these discoveries, by the way, not creationists. Evolution has the power to alter the course of creationism (and itself), but not the other way around: Creationism seems to be incapable of making any discoveries that would alter the course of evolutionary biology.