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

Eugene Shubert said:
If you understand evolution, then answer my question. Can one life form evolve into any other life form?
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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.
 
sideshowbob said:
Why bring "magic" into it at all?
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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.
 
origin said:
I understand that you do not seem to have the foggiest idea what the theory of evolution is about. You also appear to be running some sort of strawman factory.

I have no idea why you are permitted to post this continual nonesense in the science section.
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"Strawman factory". Very good.:D

But actually he's just been down the creationist aisle at Walmart for a lot of this.
 
Eugene Shubert said:
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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Then stop obfuscating. Why do you keep talking about "magical" molecules? What do you mean by "magical" molecules? Elucidate.
 
Eugene Shubert said:
Mutations are random. If virtually every random mutation of that molecule would represent a viable form of life, then it's perfectly acceptable to say that that molecule is magical. Look up the definition of a charmed life.
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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.)
 
Eugene Shubert said:
If you understand evolution, then answer my question. Can one life form evolve into any other life form?
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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.
 
sideshowbob said:
Then stop obfuscating. Why do you keep talking about "magical" molecules? What do you mean by "magical" molecules? Elucidate.
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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.
 
Eugene Shubert said:
That wasn't my question. I've already confessed to accepting Darwin's four postulates.
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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."
 
spidergoat said:
It requires a gradient of conditions such that every step of the evolutionary path would provide a clear advantage.
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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.
 
Eugene Shubert said:
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.
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The only person talking about these magical Eugene molecules is you.
 
billvon said:
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."
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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?
 
Eugene Shubert said:
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?
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No. However, given enough time (billions of years) an oak tree can evolve into something SIMILAR to a human.
 
Eugene Shubert said:
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.
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DNA doesn't aquire external environmental conditions. And your incredulity isn't an argument for anything but your ignorance.
 
billvon said:
No. However, given enough time (billions of years) an oak tree can evolve into something SIMILAR to a human.
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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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