Can the flu virus evolve into a bacterial infection?

Question

There is no question that humans have mutated and changed over thousands and thousands of years. But have we evolved from another species? Dog breeding has proven that new types of dogs can evolve. But could you ever evolve a cat from a dog even tho they have similiar bodies?

No, I don't have any idea how evolution works or even if everyone defines it the same way.

Az: I have not problem with evolution and I am a Christian. Actually my question was directed more to atheists who want to know why Christians would take a flu shot since the flu virus 'evolves'.

Answer 1

Question 1: Virus to Bacteria:

Evolution takes place in periods time that by far exceed a normal human lifespan. Therefore, while it is possible for a flu to weaken your body such that it allows a secondary bacterial infection, this is not the process of evolution and no new species has been created.

{In answer to your addendum regarding how a virus "evolves" inside the body; the adaptation brought on by the sorting process of natural selection inside your body rarely results in a new species. Your immune system and whatever medication you are taking select for traits that allow survival in the virus. Variation within one strain of virus usually allows for very little change in representation (as viruses are clones). However, because of the rapid reproduction, simple design, and the power of natural selection, viruses do evolve fairly rapidly into new species (compared to other more complex species). The idea of the evolution of a virus into a bacterium in your body during your lifetime is outside the realm of possible.

People all have the same definition of Evolution. As with most things though, many people know the word but not what it actually means. Evolution is a word that has a standard defintion. Because it is a young word, there are very few other meanings. It is often used as an adjective to describe something that works like the process of natural selection but this application of the term does not represent a good working understanding of the theory.

A Flu vaccine inoculates you against the most likely to contract flu virus strain. Flu virus develop in the gut of birds and are transmitted across species. Some strains are so powerful that they can kill people. This is akin to the difference between a Pitbull and a Chihuahua dog. They are the same species. Some have traits that make them dangerous to humans and some don't. Both are a Flu virus though and as such have the same lifecycle and are both the same species.

I am not an Atheist but I know some and I have never heard of any of them wondering why Christians would take Flu vaccine. The people you are talking about sound like uninformed Atheists. A Christian is just as responsible for protecting themselves and others. A vaccine prepares your immune system for a disease. It does not mean you have compromised your faith in God or accepted the connotations caused by a cursory understanding of the processes described by the theory of evolution.}

Question 2: Mutated humans over thousands of years:

The represented expression of a gene expands the range of expression allowed within our single species. It is not the creation of new species. The modest phenotypic expressions found in periods of thousands of years do not represent a fundamental change in our genome to the point of speciation. Only hybrid vigor and cross-species intermingling can create species within terms of thousands of years. (Unless you meant thousands of thousands of years, which is more likely to be an appropriate measure of time).

Question 3: Arise from other species?:

We have a common ancestor with modern chimpanzees. We did not evolve from them, we simply are a divergent species from a single common ancestor. Undoubtably, our species evolved from another species. This means that once there was a different set of gene frequencies that represented a wholly different species, who by incident of natural selection and extinction, resulted in our current set of gene frequencies.

Question 4: Dog Breeding analogy:

You have a misguided understanding of what evolution means. Evolution is defined as changes in gene frequency over time. Your examples describe phenotypic differentiation within a single speices. Dogs can evolve but that is demonstrated through their lineage with Wolves and other canine species not the simple expressions bred for. Dog breeding is the exploration of the full-range of expressions within a single cohesive genome.

As with the living representations of humanity not being the product of variation tracked in thousands of years, the variation present in the breeding of dogs are expressions of the variation normally found within a single species.

The kinds of changes that occur to create new species take place in minute changes to the genome over incredibly long periods of time. Most speciation (the creation of new species) takes place in geologic time frames (millions of years).

Changes accumulate in isolated groups until variation gives way to species. This is a true genotypical change that forever separates the new species from the other. Every body plan has a set of ratios that are determined not by the phenotype (as is expressed in breeding) but by the genotype. New species occurs when enough changes to the genotype occur that the ratios change. Any breeding that crosses back into the line of decent creates not one species expression but two and is called a hybrid. These are like mules and are usually sterile.

Question 5: Which came first, the cat or the dog?

The expression of genes you call a "cat" cannot evolve into anything you would call a "dog".

The closest change in gene frequency we can observe in nature is extinction. If evolution is the change in gene frequency over time, then with extinction the gene change is to have it no longer occur. The passenger pigeon is a good example of evolution in action. They were expressing a specific set of gene frequencies but a change occured and now the frequency is never. This particular example of changes in gene frequency did not result in new species but rather extinction of species.

Several forces contribute to changes in gene frequency. Imagine that genes are physical things, such as they are, speciation is like a canyon forming from the steady force of water rushing. It occurs normally very slowly. It reacts to the changes in the environment. As with sudden floods carving out canyons quickly, higher oxygen levels, ready sources of ecologic niches, climatic drift, physical isolation/loss of habitat, as well as other forms of natural selection are forces that can push more rapid changes onto a gene frequency and lead to new species.

I hope this is helpful to you.

Answer 2

You just have no idea how evolution works, do you?

Thats like saying how can my sister have the same parents - shes a GIRL and yet im BOY - they dont turn in to each other.

**Well if you WANT to know then let me just explain that there was never an animal that had 2 children, a cat and a dog - having the same common ancestor means imagining (and with the rich fossil record we have - not that we need it to prove evolution) we dont have to imagine - an animal somewhere between cat and dog, because of geographical differences or whatever the 2 groups become differentiated.

Evolution is a beautiful theory and many christians accept it and manage to carry on with their faiths just fine. Please have an open mind about it - evolution doesnt require faith or belief you can go examine the evidence yourself.**

Answer 3

Cats belong to the feline family and dogs belong to the canine family. Relatively speaking short term evolution of species takes place within the same genus and sometimes even within the same family, but never outside of the same family. In the long term evolution takes places between families and even classes and ultimately it took place within kingdoms (do you understand taxonomic classification?). Considering all life evolved from single cell organisms it is all relevant to the unfolding of RNA/DNA through the plethora of geological time.

My question to you is why are you unable to merge the truth of evolution with your faith? Evolution is not God, evolution is the process through which God creates.

Answer 4

a virus cannot become a bacteria or vice versa. a dog cannot become a cat or vice versa. For the person who mentioned the dog-cat- that was a mating of a dog & cat, but the animal will be sterile (cannot reproduce). Some things are just not compatible & not everything will mutate to become something else.

Answer 5

Flu virus do not change into bacteria. Possibly run the system down so it makes it easier for some bacteria to invade the body. It seems certain bacteria do it run the system down or change body environments so virus have a better chance.

Answer 6

Cat to dog -- no.

Cats and dogs derived from a common ancestor. The split in the order carnivora, which yielded caniformia (dogs) and feliformia (cats), occured 43 - 60 million years ago. This is why they have similar bodies.

Answer 7

The history of life on earth goes back 3 billion years.

Answer 8

Ever seen the cartoon "Cat-Dog"? That's proof.

Answer 9

No and no-one is suggesting that they can, you can't get there from here, however you can get here from what WAS there. Clear?

Answer 10

degenerated is a better word...we arent such fine specimens as Adam was...
No is the answer