Posted on 12/15/2005 9:10:41 AM PST by flevit
Simon Schama appears to have little understanding of biology (Opinion, September 4). With an ostrich mindset that tries to ignore reality, pseudo-scientists continue in the vain hope that if they shout loud and long enough they can perpetuate the fairy story and bad science that is evolution.
You don't have to be a religious fundamentalist to question evolution theory - you just have to have an open and enquiring mind and not be afraid of challenging dogma. But you must be able to discern and dodge the effusion of evolutionary landmines that are bluster and non sequiturs.
No one denies the reality of variation and natural selection. For example, chihuahuas and Great Danes can be derived from a wolf by selective breeding. Therefore, a chihuahua is a wolf, in the same way that people of short stature and small brain capacity are fully human beings.
However, there is no evidence (fossil, anatomical, biochemical or genetic) that any creature did give rise, or could have given rise, to a different creature. In addition, by their absence in the fossil record for (supposed) millions of years along with the fact of their existence during the same time period, many animals such as the coelacanth demonstrate the principle that all creatures could have lived contemporaneously in the past.
No evidence supports the notion that birds evolved from dinosaurs, nor that whales evolved from terrestrial quadrupeds, nor that the human knee joint evolved from a fish pelvic fin. And the critically-positioned amino acids at the active sites within enzymes and structural proteins show that the origination of complex proteins by step-wise modifications of supposed ancestral peptides is impossible. In other words, birds have always been birds, whales have always been whales, apes did not evolve into humans, and humans have always been humans.
But you might protest that it has been proved that we evolved from apes. In fact, the answer is a categorical No. Australopithecines, for example, were simply extinct apes that in a few anatomical areas differed from living apes. If some of them walked bipedally to a greater degree than living apes, this does not constitute evidence that apes evolved into humans - it just means that some ancient apes were different from living apes.
That is a possible explanation. Perhaps He was practising.
On the other hand, if he was God, He was all knowing and had no need of "practise". At any rate, there is no fossil evidence to indicate this theory.
I believe God created the rules that set the universe in operation, and that from time to time he intervenes to achive His goal. I believe He created us through these rules He set up, and that we were His intended end-product.
I couldn't even begin to guess why God thought it necessary to create such vain and vile creatures as us, but then I'm not God and hence lack the ability to figure that out.
Not unless there were other evidence to support it.
Now since we're asking questions here, I wonder if you will tell me how a species evolves to have 23 chromosome pairs in each cell nucleus from some different integral number of pairs over "zillions of years."
ML/NJ
The same applies to a number of freepers.
There is nothing in the theory of evolution which negates the belief that God created man with His own hands.
The dispute over evolution, in my mind at least, is over the mechanism. And I don't think God thought that was of any theological significance, or He would have elaborated on it in the Torah.
True....Many however, refuse to accept anything ever happened more than about 6,000 years ago.
Semantics, I'd say. That NG thing could also be interprested as apes evolving from humans since they "may" share the same common ancestor (according to that NG piece). That said, primates and humans sharing the same ancestry (even if that were true) does not mean that man evolved from "apes".
Just my opinion.
great exuse for me to post this link agains, since "yous" never seem to read it...
http://www.onesmallspeck.com/author.html
However, there is no evidence (fossil, anatomical, biochemical or genetic) that any creature did give rise, or could have given rise, to a different creature.
many animals such as the coelacanth demonstrate the principle that all creatures could have lived contemporaneously in the past.
No evidence supports the notion that birds evolved from dinosaurs, nor that whales evolved from terrestrial quadrupeds
See first and related articles.
And the critically-positioned amino acids at the active sites within enzymes and structural proteins show that the origination of complex proteins by step-wise modifications of supposed ancestral peptides is impossible.
here and related articles.
In general, this list covers it all.
During meiosis and mitosis, gentic "errors" can occur.
Chromosomes can split, fuse, and genes can recombine.
Given the long timeframes involved in evolution, its not beyond credibility that the number of chromosomes can increase or reduce or change in other ways.
Down's syndrome in Humans is caused by an extra chromosome.
When I see fossils from lions, tigers, and bears mixed with t-rex, triceratops, and stegasaurus I'll pay attention to this guy.
Excellant references.
Interesting to see what responses it elicits from our friends who are anti-evolutionists.
Sorry, wrong thread for the first one.
Ever wonder what this world would be like if we didn't have hypothetical questions?
:)
"Silly, I know."
Silly? SILLY?? That ain't silly, that's the funniest damned thing I've heard all day!
R3
Here are a few of those fragments.
Herto skulls (Homo sapiens idaltu)
Some new fossils from Herto in Ethiopia, are the oldest known modern human fossils, at 160,000 yrs. The discoverers have assigned them to a new subspecies, Homo sapiens idaltu, and say that they are anatomically and chronologically intermediate between older archaic humans and more recent fully modern humans. Their age and anatomy is cited as strong evidence for the emergence of modern humans from Africa, and against the multiregional theory which argues that modern humans evolved in many places around the world.
Actually, I learned about this "active site" stuff from my Godless Biology teacher. Got and "A" in the class just recently. From what I understand, only one particular amino acid will fit into an active site of a enzyme. There can be no substitution of amino acids. Enzymes are a bunch of proteins that allow a cell to do what they have to do, like divide or consume nutrients. Amino acids fit into the active site of an enzyme like a lock and key. If the active sites have not changed over time(since they can't be substituted by other chemicals) that means that birds have always been birds, whales have always been whales etc. Get it?
Hint: It ain't gonna happen, cause that's not how things work.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.