It investigated the de novo origin of genes and acknowledged, “The emergence of complete, functional genes—with promoters, open reading frames (ORFs), and functional proteins—from ‘junk’ DNA would seem highly improbable, almost like the elusive transmutation of lead into gold that was sought by medieval alchemists.”27 Nonetheless, the article asserted without saying how that: “evolution by natural selection can forge completely new functional elements from apparently nonfunctional DNA—the process by which molecular evolution turns lead into gold.”28
