[allmendream]

If you accept that all species extant upon the Earth today came from those few primordial “kinds” that could fit into an Ark of known dimensions - then you accept speciation.

Moreover there is direct observation of one species evolving into another. A fruit fly speciation event took place in the lab such that the new population was absolutely infertile with any other fruit flies.

Yes, they are absolutely “still fruit flies” - but that isn't what you asked - because they are ABSOLUTELY not the same species by the ‘hardest’ criteria of species - not being able to reproduce together.

Evolution takes place every time a population is observed under controlled conditions - not necessarily speciation - but certainly evolution through natural selection of genetic variation.

Because DNA cannot be copied with 100% fidelity variation will accumulate. Variations are subject to selective pressures such that some variations will predominate in subsequent generations.

What is going to stop that process such that a 2% genetic DNA difference will accumulate over a several million years between two separate populations?

[betty boop]

A fruit fly speciation event took place in the lab such that the new population was absolutely infertile with any other fruit flies.

So what??? That only makes it a mutant of an extant species, not a new species.

You wrote: "they are ABSOLUTELY not the same species by the ‘hardest’ criteria of species — not being able to reproduce together."

So reproduction defines what is a species? Does that make gay people a new species?