Re: organic conversations

[David Marjanovic <david.marjanovic@gmx.at>]

> Owen (1834) defined homology as "the same organ under every variety of 
> form and function". [...] Thus, any definition of homology that has an 
> evolutionary component (including 'shared ancestry', which is its current 
> usage) is a re-invention from Owen's original concept.

That strikes me as exaggerated. It's just an explanation of what on the 
planet "the same organ" _means_. :-)

> Molecular biologists recognize that certain genes or proteins have a 
> common ancestry, just as organismal biologists recognize that certain 
> organs or appendages have a common ancestry.

Yes. They just shouldn't say "% homologous" when they mean "% identical". 
That's all.