Jeffrey Tomkins

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'''Jeffrey Tomkins''' is a "research associate" at the [[Institute for Creation Research]]. He has a PhD in genetics and master's degree in plant sciences from Clemson University and the University of Idaho respectively.<ref><capture>[http://www.icr.org/jeffrey_tomkins/ Bio on icr.org].</capture></ref><ref>[http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jeffrey-tomkins/20/8a/913 Linkedin profile].</ref>

His research for the ICR tends to be genetics related, and concentrated in 2011 on the genetic similarity between [[human]]s and chimpanzees. He made much of his research's apparent [[Answers Research Journal volume 4#Genome-Wide DNA Alignment Similarity (Identity) for 40,000 Chimpanzee DNA Sequences Queried against the Human Genome is 86–89%|discovery]] that the similarity between humans and chimps was 'merely' 86-89%. In 2012 his ''ICR News'' article on the sequencing of the Gorilla genome, ''Gorilla Genome Is Bad News for Evolution'',<ref><capture>[http://www.icr.org/article/6723/ Gorilla Genome Is Bad News for Evolution]</capture></ref> was attacked on [[Pharyngula]] as failing to understand the science.<ref>[http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/03/11/a-tiny-bit-of-knowledge-is-a-dangerous-thing/ A tiny bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing]</ref>

Tomkins is known for his usage of "ungapped" comparisons to depress the percentage similarity between the human and chimpanzee genomes. This method relies on aligning the beginnings of two DNA sequences, and measuring whether subsequent base pairs at corresponding positions match one another. The flaw in this method is that insertions, duplications or deletions in either sequence may cause parts of it to be shifted forward or backward relative to the other, so that equivalent sets of base pairs are not precisely aligned with one another in the comparison. Ungapped comparisons interpret those parts of the two sequences as entirely mismatched even if there are no other differences between them.<ref>Keesey, T. M. "Three Histories of the Human Body", pp. 241-244. In: Kane, J. and E. Willoughby (eds.) ''God's Word or Human Reason?: An Inside Perspective on Creationism'', 2nd edition. Inkwater Press, 2020.</ref>

His latest project is apparently on the "concept of genetic diversity in biological adaptation."<ref><capture>[http://www.icr.org/article/6727/ Mechanisms of Adaptation in Biology: Molecular Cell Biology]</capture></ref>

==See also==
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*[[Brian Thomas]]
*[[John D. Morris]]
*His ''[[Answers Research Journal]]'' articles:
**[[Answers Research Journal volume 4#How Genomes are Sequenced and Why it Matters: Implications for Studies in Comparative Genomics of Humans and Chimpanzees|How Genomes are Sequenced and Why it Matters: Implications for Studies in Comparative Genomics of Humans and Chimpanzees]]
**[[Answers Research Journal volume 4#Response to Comments on “How Genomes are Sequenced and Why it Matters: Implications for Studies in Comparative Genomics of Humans and Chimpanzees”|Response to Comments on “How Genomes are Sequenced and Why it Matters: Implications for Studies in Comparative Genomics of Humans and Chimpanzees”]]
**[[Answers Research Journal volume 4#Genome-Wide DNA Alignment Similarity (Identity) for 40,000 Chimpanzee DNA Sequences Queried against the Human Genome is 86–89%|Genome-Wide DNA Alignment Similarity (Identity) for 40,000 Chimpanzee DNA Sequences Queried against the Human Genome is 86–89%]]

==References==
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[[Category:Christian apologists]]
[[Category:Institute for Creation Research]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Christian apologists, Institute for Creation Research, Living people