Evolution's Poker Hand

TechCentralStation ^ | May 31 2005 | Kenneth Silber

[concerned about politics]

I can buy that (and do, actually), but intelligent design, or divine purpose, doesn't preclude the process being a reality.

Sure it does. Man DNA appeared out of no where. "Poof!"

[PatrickHenry]

Man DNA appeared out of no where. "Poof!"

Human Ancestors.
The Evidence for Human Evolution.
Comparison of all Hominid skulls.

Don't miss this one: Chimpanzees and humans share a common ancestor, and even today 99 percent of the two species' DNA is identical.

[concerned about politics]

Chimpanzees and humans share a common ancestor, and even today 99 percent of the two species' DNA is identical.

If a Chimpanzee was a man, it would have human DNA. It does not. It's still a monkey.

[AshfieldK]

DNA did come from nowhere. All matter came from nowhere. First there was nothing, then there was everything - creation. The subsequent ordering of that random new stuff is also creation. The evolution of life is creation. Creation wasn't just a single moment. Creation is the entirety of history and the entirety of the future. The source of creation is the creator, God. There isn't any contradiction between evoultion and creation, because, like I said, evolution is part of the total creation.

[concerned about politics]

The Evidence for Human Evolution. Comparison of all Hominid skulls.

Let's move down about 8" (they always leave this part out).
So why does a monkey have a spinal column that attaches to the skull like that of a monkey, but a human has a spinal column that attaches to it's skull like a bear? Where's the "missing link"? Where's the "evolutionary jump"?

Ok. I have to go out and feed our critters (Animal chores. Ack!)
My 16 year old will steal the computer. She always does. She's already begging for it.
I hope to engage in further debate sometime. The Evolution theory is easy to crack.

[DouglasKC]

"Genetic constraints" means you die before birth (or technically anytime before you reproduce with viable offspring). That's it.

Who put the constraint there? In your example, why doesn't evolution favor humans who live 150 years and are able to reproduce for 135 of those years? You would think that after millions of years that evolution would have figured this out.

[furball4paws]

entropy

[furball4paws]

pond scum

[Texas Eagle]

Why did it need to change?

[Oztrich Boy]

And without faith, it is impossible to accept creation. And in the same way, without faith, it is impossible to accept evolution.

The old "everybody else does it. Why shouldn't I?" excuse

[furball4paws]

If you didn't "need" to change, you wouldn't be toilet trained now.

[Texas Eagle]

The change you are talking about is akin to replacing poopy diapers?

[furball4paws]

No, just don't anthropomorphize simple cells. A-G will do a very good job telling you that the answer to your question is a "will to live". She can do it much better than I.

[Texas Eagle]

Do simple cells exist to this day?

[RightWingAtheist]

As we evolutionists like to say, c'est la vie.

[Doctor Stochastic]

...A few extra fingers, after all, would allow more detailed grasping and other operations....

Not necessarily; they may just get in each others way. It's not clear that detailed grasping is needed for reproductive advantage.

Evolution is conservative; most things just hang around if not detrimental.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping, furball4paws!

Texas Eagle, if you are interested in the discussion of the "will to live", here's a primary thread: Can the Monist view account for 'what is life?'

[Drammach]

The author seems to have limited himself to five digits as opposed to more, when he should have also addressed the 5 or less argument as well..

Experiments in robotics have shown that 3 digits is minimal..
Two "fingers" and an opposable "thumb"..
One thumb and one finger will allow grasping of an object, but control or manipulation is "shaky" as the object will rotate (laterally?) between the two digits...
digit #3 allows control of that rotation..

So one could argue, that for the sake of efficiency, humans could get rid of the 4th finger (pinky) and still have sufficient digital dexterity for any imagined task...

In many animals, an extra digit remains in the form of a "dew claw", which may be a disposed of thumb..
In hooved animals, the digits have evolved into 2 digits, (cloven hooved, like cattle and deer) and 1 digit ( hooved, like horses )..

The author looked in the wrong direction.. evolution "simplifies" ...
In different orders, digits have evolved to the task at hand..

Oh.. and then there's "flippers" on seals, etc.. and the whales... Once a land mammal, now sea-borne, and still retaining vestigial digits within it's flukes..

[shuckmaster]

I once had a school buddy who was born with six fingers on each hand. He had scars from where the extra digits had been removed. I once told him he should searh the world over & find a six fingered girl to marry and he didn't think that was too funny at all.