[Ro_Thunder]

I can take ten colonies of bacteria, subject them to ten different stresses, and derive populations that can survive the stress (through genetic changes) that previously they could not. This is reproducible.

Yes, that’s 100% true. But, your bacteria is going to be just that - bacteria. It’s not going to get up off the slide, open the lab door and walk down the street. It starts off as bacteria, and ends up as bacteria.

I believe that yes, there are changes based on influences such as environmental changes, infections, genetic mutations and abnormalities. These changes do not beget speciation. I do not believe these influences can change a dinosaur into a bird, or a cat into a dog, or monkey into man.

[allmendream]

There are changes based upon influences such as environmental changes, infections, abnormalities, etc - these changes are themselves genetic in nature - originally through mutation.

Once we have established that the environment selects genetic variations such that adaptive changes can and will happen, what is going to STOP the accumulation of change between two separate species such that they become some 2% genetically different, as humans and chimps are 2% genetically different?

What is going to stop “micro” changes form accumulating into “macro” differences?

Do you find it difficult to believe that mice and rats share a common ancestor?