Since the beginning of geology as a science. It is obviously possible for an individual fossil to form in years or decades, but that is not what is meant by the fossil record. Fossilization is rare. If it weren't you wouldn't be able to dig anywhere for all the bones you would find. The fossil record doesn't have the resolution to pick out changes that occur on the scale of thousands of years. As for the evolution of the flagellum, the definition of ID includes the assertion that there are complex objects in living things which cannot be simplified or have parts removed without losing all functionality. The Dover trial gave Behe and the others a chance to establish this under oath in a court of law. Instead, the opposite was established. There are numerous functional flagella that are simpler than E.coli, and there are functional sub-components of the E.coli flagellum found in other bacteria. Irreducible complexity simply doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Now you may wish to argue that the Discovery Institute blew it, and through sheer incompetence, undermined 20 years of work promoting their ideas. I won't argue with that. If I were on your side in this argument, I'd certainly wonder why people contribute money to an organization that has set the movement back legally and politically.
[[ As for the evolution of the flagellum, the definition of ID includes the assertion that there are complex objects in living things which cannot be simplified or have parts removed without losing all functionality.]]
No sir- that is not the definition of ID- ID makes no claim that somethign can’t be simplified- you are simplifying the more complex definition of ID and you’re misrepresenting the science. There are only certain systems that can’t have parts removed such as the flagellum motor- just as a mechanical motor can’t function minus say a carbeurator, so too the flagellum motor can’t work without any one of the parts- it would be a useless mechanism for locomotion which the flagellum relies on to capture food to survive.
[[The Dover trial gave Behe and the others a chance to establish this under oath in a court of law. Instead, the opposite was established.]]
No sir! Behe DID establish it- the judge however REFUSED to allow hypothesis from ID but allowed hypothesis for anti-ID ALL through the trial- Heck- MACROEvolution is PURE HYPEothesis, yet when Behe presented a logical testable hypothesis, the judge refused it based entirely on the premise that it hadn’t been tested yet DESPITE the fact that it made FAR more sense than the UNPROVEN counter hypothesis that Miller proposed!
[[There are numerous functional flagella that are simpler than E.coli,]]
Yes there are- None is arguing there aren’t- The existence of simpler flagella doesn’t negate the premise of irreducible complexity in the more complex Falgella. While htere are simpler flagella- there are NOT the parts of hte locomotion motor present in them and these flagella exist in specific enivronments- there is absolutely NO evidence to show the ‘simpler’ flagella evolving the motor parts in stages as they supposedly MACROEvolved to the more complex Flagella- It is nothing but pure unsupported speculation that the two are related and evovled one from the other- Yet the judge allowed this unsupported hypothesis? Amazing!
DI didn’t blow the trial- the judge even CONFESSED later in an interview there was bias in the trial- that is on record- there is no denying he confessed to that- ID made their case- but bias dissallowed logical hypothesis that made MORE sense than the coutner hypothesis, but yet allowed unsupported hypothesis from the opposition. You can deny there was bias all day long- but the FACTS speak loud and clear-