Does Common Descent Follow Logically From Darwin's Four Postulates?

Discussion in 'Biology & Genetics' started by Eugene Shubert, May 10, 2017.

  1. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    No. It requires a gradient of conditions such that every step of the evolutionary path would provide a clear advantage. Some steps simply can't happen.
     
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  3. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    No. Most mutations are neutral to the functioning of the organism.
     
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  5. Eugene Shubert Valued Senior Member

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    As I said, I believe that natural selection is the pea in a shell game. And as the previous two replies clearly reveal, there is a need for a straightforward simple language that transcends all the existing mind-numbing obfuscation.
     
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  7. exchemist Valued Senior Member

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    "Strawman factory". Very good.

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    But actually he's just been down the creationist aisle at Walmart for a lot of this.
     
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  8. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    Then stop obfuscating. Why do you keep talking about "magical" molecules? What do you mean by "magical" molecules? Elucidate.
     
  9. gmilam Valued Senior Member

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    That's a big IF. Unfortunately for your hypothesis most mutations are neutral or harmful. (Natural selection weeds the harmful ones out.)
     
  10. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Can one life form evolve into another form of life? Sure, and we've seen it happen in the lab.

    Can one form of life evolve into any other form of life? Not without the appropriate selection pressures. In other words, you can't force a cow to evolve into a whale by just wanting it to. But if there is pressure to do so (more food in the ocean, population pressures etc) over millions of years then yes, something that looks like a cow (Pakicetus) can evolve into a whale.
     
  11. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    I get the feeling he is wanting to claim that DNA is "magic" but his claims make no sense. I've dealt with this by labeling his magical molecules Eugene molecules to distinguish them from reality.
     
  12. Eugene Shubert Valued Senior Member

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    That wasn't my question. I've already confessed to accepting Darwin's four postulates.
     
  13. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    What's a life form? Aren't they all the same?
     
  14. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    Then the answer is - "Not without the appropriate selection pressures. In other words, you can't force a cow to evolve into a whale by just wanting it to. But if there is pressure to do so (more food in the ocean, population pressures etc) over millions of years then yes, something that looks like a cow (Pakicetus) can evolve into a whale."
     
  15. Eugene Shubert Valued Senior Member

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    That's not a problem. Since inheritable maximally-magical molecules are unbelievably charmed, we should expect them to naturally acquire the maximal gradient of environmental conditions necessary for them to thrive at the most unbelievably maximal potentials.
     
  16. sideshowbob Sorry, wrong number. Valued Senior Member

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    Explain.
     
  17. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    The only person talking about these magical Eugene molecules is you.
     
  18. Eugene Shubert Valued Senior Member

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    That's not a direct answer to my question. I asked, "Can one life form evolve into any other life form?" For example, can an oak tree evolve into a human?
     
  19. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    No. However, given enough time (billions of years) an oak tree can evolve into something SIMILAR to a human.
     
  20. spidergoat pubic diorama Valued Senior Member

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    DNA doesn't aquire external environmental conditions. And your incredulity isn't an argument for anything but your ignorance.
     
  21. Eugene Shubert Valued Senior Member

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    DNA with a charmed life does acquire external, maximally-favorable environmental conditions.
     
  22. billvon Valued Senior Member

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    OK. But regular DNA does not.
     
  23. Eugene Shubert Valued Senior Member

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    So what law prevents an oak tree from evolving into an unthinking loathsome creature with exactly your DNA as it exists at this very moment?
     

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