Posted on 12/11/2004 11:50:10 PM PST by snarks_when_bored
Ping (just in case you hadn't seen this)
lol
Not quite evolution. The red-bellied black snake and the green tree snake with larger heads have killed themselves off through eating cane toads; therefore, the snakes with the smaller heads, that can't eat the toads, are going to be the ones left to reproduce. The snakes aren't evolving. The individuals with certain characteristics are just be handed a reproductive advantage....
That's evolution. The populations of the two snake species are experiencing selective pressure from the cane toad population. As that pressure continues, the morphology of the snake populations is changing. After 20-25 generations, that change is already noticeable.
This isn't 'evolution' at all--it's patently pro-evolution lies put forth as 'science.' Bigheaded snakes can eat big poisonous things and die. Smaller specimens of the same species then survive--the 'fittest' paradoxically being the smallest and presumably weakest...although presumably also the toads are smaller when young and could be swallowed by smaller snakes. (Read "The Andromeda Strain" ...) Breeders have made miniature horses, miniature pinschers, poodles etc. by similar selective breeding. You show me a snake that can type Othello or sing Sorrento--or a dolphin that's built an underwater hospital--and I'll give a little credence to the hypothesis of evolution.
LOL
I just have to laugh at the Evotards...sorry...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA!
Right on all counts.
Red-bellied black snakes live in the southern part of Australia. Cane toads live in the north. Regards, Byron
On another subject (not evolution):
Doesn't Australia have a long history of bringing in outside species to "solve problems", and then the outsiders themselves end up becoming a new problem?
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No more than a tendency for large busted, pretty girls to be among the first to pass on their genetics.
Cool. :-)
Yep.
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/rabbits/wildanim.html
There are now many animals living in Australia that have been deliberately introduced to the wild. Some came by accident, others were escapees from aviaries, aquaria and zoos. They were introduced for a number of reasons that now may sound quaint or impractical. It is a good history lesson to examine past introductions so that the same mistakes are not repeated in the future.
When populations of domestic animals such as livestock or household pets become established in the wild they are called feral animals. These include the feral cats, feral pigs, the hare, feral goats, and feral horse or brumby. However, the introduced species that did not originate from domestic livestock are referred to as exotics, exotic wild animals or introduced wild animals. Here are some reasons why these wild animals from other countries were introduced into Australia and just a few example of the species involved:
Biological control - cane toad, English starling, sparrow, mosquitofish
Sport hunting - rabbit, fox, deer
Fishing - trout, carp
Practical use - ostrich, camel, buffalo
Ornamental - blackbird, song thrush
Accidental - two species of rat, house mouse, European wasp, cattle tick
Escapees - Indian Palm squirrel, goldfinch.
No, natural selection is currently taking place in the snake population of Australia.
Not insignificant, but not evolution, unless there is evidence new genes or a new species.
One also has to chuckle at the anthropomorphic "nature is taking care of itself" commentary, which sound like declarations of faith. "Nature is happening" is closer to the mark.
I wonder, what animals indigenous to Queensland that were subject to the predation of larger headed snakes might now have their populations not so efficiently controlled?
Not true. Evolution is simply the change in allele frequencies from one generation to the next. Obviously, natural selection is guiding the change, which is evolution by definition!
That's a mighty low bar. Dog breeds are examples of evolution by that definition.
Natural selection is a component of evolution, not a synonym for it.
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