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Global Warming Fuels Speedy Evolution
Discovery Channel ^ | Feb. 22, 2006 | Larry O'Hanlon

Posted on 02/22/2006 10:38:24 PM PST by quantim

Don't look now, but your backyard is evolving. It's no joke. There's a growing body of evidence that evolution is no longer something only seen either in this year's flu virus or Cretaceous tyrannosaur bones. It's happening everywhere, right now, and charging full-steam ahead.

Research on toads, frogs, salamanders, fish, lizards, squirrels and plants are all showing evidence that some species are attempting to adapt to new conditions in a time frame of decades, not eons, say biologists.

What's more, one of the biggest reasons for all this evolution right now may be that human-induced changes to climate and landscapes give species few other options.

Move, Adapt or Die
"Basically, a species can do three things," said the University of Sydney's Richard Shine: "go extinct, move or adapt."

The first two have kept conservation biologists working day and night, to the exclusion of the third, he said. But that's changing as real-time evolution is hitting the news wires and getting more attention.

The highest-profile case yet was made public by Shine and his colleagues in the Feb. 16 issue of Nature: the case of toxic cane toads at the forefront of a seven-decade Australian invasion. Measurements over the years prove that the leading toads have evolved significantly longer legs.

It appears that hopping further and faster rewards long-legged toads with the first crack at lush virgin territory, and therefore more offspring to perpetuate their athleticism.

Behind that story are even more cases of rapid evolution, says Shine, an evolutionary ecologist. Already he's seeing changes in native Australian snakes. First they tried to eat the toads, and died. Now, Shine says, the surviving snakes have modified jaws which make them unable to eat the toads and therefore safe from their toxin.

"Invasive species are a nice model," Shine said.

They hint at the rates of evolution that might be expected as species feel the increasing pressure of global warming. They also draw the attention of conservation biologists, who are often on the front lines of battles to save habitats and individual species.

"In the past 20 years, essentially all evolutionary biologists have come to widely recognize the importance and prevalence of (what's) often called 'rapid evolution,'" wrote evolutionary biologist Andrew Hendry of McGill University, who responded to questions via email from the Galapagos Islands. "Many conservation biologists have recently come to the same realization and I expect that the rest will soon follow."

Rapid evolution is good news for conservation biologists. It implies that the number of species that might go extinct will be less than some current estimates, which predict as many as one-third of all species alive today will be wiped out by 2050.

The first known case of a mammal responding genetically to warmer climate warming is the red squirrel of the Yukon Territory.

Canadian scientists have discovered that red squirrels are giving birth about 18 days earlier than their great-grandmothers. It's the early squirrel that gets the nut, after all: natural selection in action.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bushsfault; crevolist; evolution
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To: freedumb2003

Wish you werent taking months long break from the Crevo threads...I have always enjoyed your posts...you will be missed...but we will all be here when you return..I do understand what you are saying tho...


61 posted on 02/23/2006 5:30:12 PM PST by andysandmikesmom
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To: taxesareforever

It is becoming ever more clear that your entire body of knowledge about evolution consists of the word and your opposition.

Both the longer legged frog feature and the earlier birthing squirrel feature are classic evolutionary changes.

Oh, yes, as are taller human sub populations.


62 posted on 02/23/2006 6:00:29 PM PST by From many - one.
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To: Dimensio

In case you forgot, it was you who asked my what I thought evolution was.


63 posted on 02/23/2006 6:13:20 PM PST by taxesareforever (Government is running amuck)
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To: taxesareforever
In case you forgot, it was you who asked my what I thought evolution was.

I did not forget. I don't see how that relates to your apparent misunderstanding of the meaning of "theory" as it relates to science ( and also how it relates to "fact").
64 posted on 02/23/2006 6:15:46 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: From many - one.

And that is NOT evolution. A classic case of different characteristics. Nothing else. Is a mulatto an evolutionary change or a change of characteristics?


65 posted on 02/23/2006 9:19:29 PM PST by taxesareforever (Government is running amuck)
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To: Dimensio

You don't like my answer so you change the issue. Go figure.


66 posted on 02/23/2006 9:21:12 PM PST by taxesareforever (Government is running amuck)
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To: taxesareforever
You don't like my answer so you change the issue.

I never claimed to dislike your answer. In fact, I agreed that your answer was an accurate representation of what evolution is. I do not see how I attempted to change the issue.
67 posted on 02/23/2006 9:57:00 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: Dimensio

The post you linked to wasn't even addressed to you. Maybe it was an error on your part. That said, I'm curious. Show me where PhilipFreneau said to you, and I quote, "it is permissable for Christians to lie to non-believers."


68 posted on 02/23/2006 10:03:03 PM PST by csense
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To: Dimensio
You asked me what I thought was evolution. This is what I wrote. In the life sciences, evolution is a change in the traits of living organisms over generations, including the emergence of new species. You agreed with this definition. Now, since we agree on what is considered evolution I stand by my premise that there are no new species. I asked for evidence of a new species and you mentioned long legged frogs. I maintain that this is a change of characteristics and is not evidence of a new species. Change does not denote new species. In biology, a species is, loosely speaking, a group of related organisms that share a more or less distinctive form and are capable of interbreeding.
69 posted on 02/23/2006 10:09:35 PM PST by taxesareforever (Government is running amuck)
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To: freedumb2003
I am taking a break from CREVO threads for a little while.

Heard that.  I have the same issue on the pro-cancerhead-addict-personal-rights-threads.  Some call it smoking.  Got in Mod trouble once; then I realized that I had stooped below reasonableness when trying to deal with drug addicts with a self-imposed dead sentence (smokers, and FReepers to boot).  I still read the threads, but do not comment.  It's OK not to reduce yourself to their level.  I'll betcha' the majority of the cancerheads here are anti-abortion, go figure.

70 posted on 02/23/2006 10:30:59 PM PST by quantim (If the Constitution were perfect it wouldn't have included the Senate.)
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To: csense
PhilipFreneau specifically said "But be mindful that even Christians lie during war-time to protect, say, tactical secrecy (Churchhill made a timeless statement on the use of deception to protect secrecy during war-time)." when defending his implict suggestion (and I say that it was his implicit suggestion because he did not deny it when the implications of his statement were directly stated to him) that the US Government was effectively lying in the Treaty of Tripoli, however this specific defense is unusual because the united states was not at war with anyone in Barbary at the time of the drafting or signing of the treaty, nor does the claim that PhilipFreneau suggests is a lie seem to be of any strategic importance. I can only conclude from PhilipFreneau's statements regarding the treaty that he believes it permissable for Christians to lie whenever it suits them, and merely added the "in times of war" to create a more palatable qualifier.

Do you believe that I was hasty in my judgement? If so, could you explain then why PhilipFreneau suggests that it is acceptable that the US government effectively lied in the wording of a treaty?
71 posted on 02/23/2006 10:36:57 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: taxesareforever
You asked me what I thought was evolution. This is what I wrote. In the life sciences, evolution is a change in the traits of living organisms over generations, including the emergence of new species. You agreed with this definition.

Correct.

Now, since we agree on what is considered evolution I stand by my premise that there are no new species.

This is incorrect, as there are numerous documented cases of speciation. Moreover, this appears to be a non-sequitur as you did not state that evolution requires that speciation occur, and in fact it does not.

I asked for evidence of a new species and you mentioned long legged frogs.

I did not see where anyone suggested that longer-legged frogs themselves constituted an entirely new species. Moreover, I do not see where you asked for evidence of a new species in any of your postings. Your first use of the word "species" (or, rather, the text string "speci", as I also considered the word "speciation" in my search) in this discussion was in post #59, where you used it as part of explaining what you believed evolution is. In no part of your post #59 did you ask for any examples of a new species. If I have overlooked any posting in this discussion where you did make such a request, please reference it and I will apologize for my error.

I maintain that this is a change of characteristics and is not evidence of a new species.

Except that no one has suggested that this itself is evidence of a new species. Speciation is not the entirety of evolution; evolution can occur within a species without actually changing the species itself.

Change does not denote new species.

And no one is suggesting that it does.

In biology, a species is, loosely speaking, a group of related organisms that share a more or less distinctive form and are capable of interbreeding.

Correct, however I still fail to understand your objection. While such events have been documented amongst other populations of organisms, no one is claiming that such an event has occured here, nor is anyone suggesting that speciation has occured regardless.
72 posted on 02/23/2006 10:45:23 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: Dimensio
I can only conclude from PhilipFreneau's statements regarding the treaty that he believes it permissable for Christians to lie whenever it suits them, and merely added the "in times of war" to create a more palatable qualifier.

But that's not what you said in an earlier post, is it.

You said this: "I've been told by at least one creationist here that it is permissable for Christians to lie to non-believers.

Now, either that is true, or it is not

Which is it?

73 posted on 02/23/2006 10:56:21 PM PST by csense
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To: csense
Now, either that is true, or it is not

It was the inference that I drew from his posting. Again, if you believe that I am mistaken in drawing such an inference, I invite you to explain my error in judgement in light of PhilipFreneau's suggestion that the US government was lying in the Treaty of Tripoli and his further claim that such a lie was justified.
74 posted on 02/23/2006 11:11:03 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: Dimensio

Evolution is all about one species evolving into something completely different. For you to say that speication leads to evolution is skirting the issue. There is no proof that any species has speciated to complete evolution. So why is evolution even an issue. We both agree in speciation but I do not believe the issue goes beyond that.


75 posted on 02/23/2006 11:14:21 PM PST by taxesareforever (Government is running amuck)
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To: taxesareforever
Evolution is all about one species evolving into something completely different.

This is not true. Evolution is merely alelle frequency change over time. While this change can result in and has resulted in a change in species, there is no requirement that speciation occur before it can be stated that evolution has occured.

For you to say that speication leads to evolution is skirting the issue.

I am not making any such statement. The opposite is true: evolution leads -- sometimes -- to speciation.

There is no proof that any species has speciated to complete evolution. Apparently you are unaware of the existence of observed instances of speciation. There are, in fact, a number of examples on the subject.

The melatonin that I have taken is having an effect, so I will have to return to this discussion tomorrow.
76 posted on 02/23/2006 11:20:34 PM PST by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: Dimensio
While this change can result in and has resulted in a change in species

Now I'll ask. What species changed into another species?

77 posted on 02/23/2006 11:29:48 PM PST by taxesareforever (Government is running amuck)
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To: Dimensio
It was the inference that I drew from his posting.

Then, are you agreeing that it is not a true statement.

78 posted on 02/23/2006 11:33:20 PM PST by csense
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To: Dimensio
Here, I'll make it easy for you. Did he, or did he not, per your claim, tell you that it is permissable for Christians to lie to non-believers."
79 posted on 02/23/2006 11:43:38 PM PST by csense
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To: freedumb2003
Yet, I defy you to find a single Evo post that contains either a purposeful logical fallacy or flat out lie.

...There's your evidence

80 posted on 02/23/2006 11:56:50 PM PST by csense
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