[Doctor Stochastic]

The odds of a single cell possessing non-harmful mutations of five specific (functionally related) genes is the product of their separate probabilities.

False. Odds are not products of probabilities. Makes one skeptical that the author even understands simple mathematics. Second this would only be true if the mutations were independent. Selection creates dependencies.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Filler post to make a trivial point.

[Heartlander]

False. Odds are not products of probabilities.

Please explain…

Selection creates dependencies.

Sir, with all due respect, I believe your argument to be dependencies create selection.

[gore3000]

Second this would only be true if the mutations were independent. Selection creates dependencies.

Aaaah! Another advocate of the theory of coevolution! Perhaps you can tell us how that theory works (other than to say it works, other than to say 'because I am an atheist and the answer to a question can never be God'). Another person on this thread seemed to believe in that novel theory but was totally unable to explain it. Perhaps you can do better. Of course, if you claim it is science, you will need to give scientific proof of it, a few examples of macro-co-evolution would be nice.