I beg your pardon! I didn't realize that I was conversing with someone who already had a thorough grounding in Darwin's theory, and was qualified to expound upon it.
You are leaning too heavily upon the meaning of words used in common, everyday speech (variant of the Semantic Fallacy), with a good measure of the Teleological Fallacy.
Words like "goal" or "benefit" are work-arounds when explaining evolutionary mechanisms. Like if you were to point out that my usage of the word "mechanism" necessarily implies that there must therefore have been a "mechanic" to devise it!
Regards,
“I beg your pardon! I didn’t realize that I was conversing with someone who already had a thorough grounding in Darwin’s theory, and was qualified to expound upon”
Not sure why you would assume I have no knowledge of the theory of evolution, I do. Additionally I studied mechanical engineering in college, so even though I never mentioned mechanism that kind of terminology is baked into my thinking.
Besides the basic tenant of Darwin’s theory that call for evolution to be a change of kind, different from adaptation. Finch’s that have different beaks are still finches so that is adaptation not evolution…
My question still holds, whether evolution or adaptation I find it curious that there are so many types of trees and additionally why there are so many sun spieces of trees like oak or maple?
I get trees adapting to different climates, palm tree is well suited for the climates it is found in, and trees in desert climates. Those you will not find in say places like Ohio
But in climates like Ohio you will find many varieties that can exist with several different varieties of the same species as i said, red, white, pin
When considering evolution ( or adaptation often used interchangeably in discussions, though not the same)what is the value of these variations.
Then back to the fruit trees.
My understanding is that evolution begins with the start of life and all life developed from that. Whatever the first form of life became all others through evolution and change of kind. So somehow that single cell(for sake of argument) has become everything that exists today, and when the first mutation created the first tree, that tree became all others.
Again my understanding is that there is an element of survival of the fittest baked into Darwin’s theory (correct me if I am wrong), so what was the survival advantage of fruit trees. As I have observed if I walk through an ohio forest I am highly unlikely to find a pear or apple tree as I am to find an oak, maple or ash
I find that interesting