Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

To: js1138
Pick a species. Say Crocodylia. Whatever of it is alive today has remained virtually unchanged for vast amounts of time.

"That says nothing about [the **RANDOM**] mutation rate."

Incorrect. The random mutation rate over vast amounts of time must roughly correspond to the changes seen in any given species (for Evolutionary Theory to have a snowball's chance of being correct, anyway).

265 posted on 07/03/2006 7:45:03 PM PDT by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 259 | View Replies ]


To: Southack

Somatic change is constrained by selection. You haven't given a reference for the mutation rate.


266 posted on 07/03/2006 7:47:05 PM PDT by js1138 (Well I say there are some things we don't want to know! Important things!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 265 | View Replies ]

To: Southack
The random mutation rate over vast amounts of time must roughly correspond to the changes seen in any given species (for Evolutionary Theory to have a snowball's chance of being correct, anyway).

What?!? That is not even close to evolutionary theory. Selection pressure has a much greater influence on rate of change; mutation rate has very little impact. A species with very few mutations but in an environment that places serious survival pressures on that species will see a greater evolutionary rate of change than a species with a high rate of mutation but very little pressure from its environment to change. Sharks have evolved more "slowly" than other species of fish, not because we can say anything about the "rate of mutation" in sharks versus those fish (which wouldn't be constant in either, anyway... hence the term random), but because any mutation would be unlikely to make a shark better adapted to its environment (it already fits its role in its environment very well).

Your entire argument is based on a premise about what evolutionary theory postulates that is completely wrong. If you're going to argue against something, at least understand what you are arguing against first! Jeez...

298 posted on 07/03/2006 8:26:42 PM PDT by Charles H. (The_r0nin) (Hwæt! Lãr biþ mæst hord, soþlïce!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 265 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson