A well delivered presentation Jan. You didn't get too technical so as to confuse people with jargon and yet gave enough important points for your arguement. I give you an A for your presentation but perhaps I can add a bit to your comments.
Most people don't have any idea of how the so-called junk DNA gets into our genes. What you said about random genetic mutation was technically correct but this does NOT explain how entire sequences of genes from other species are transfered to a different species! Random variation occurs all the time in genes, in fact there are even online databases that monitor the changes for medical information. If you take nearly any animal species, you will find that it has a large amount of non-functional DNA in it, and when you further study this DNA you will find enitre segments of coded instructions from different species. For instance you can even find teeth in bird DNA. No matter how much random mutation you have, the complex code of instructions for teeth are NOT just going to pop into place one day.
In this respect, the old arguement of implausability by creationists raises it's head and yells: Got You! What these people fail to appreciate though is the integrated approach of science today to answer exactly how this happens in a demonostratable way with direct experimental proof. We know of several mechanisms that cause jumping genes and having worked in the astrobiological field myself, I can amplify on just a few methods.
In microbiology and virology, it is basic knowledge that microbes transfer genes from one to another all the time. In the case of bacteria, they eat new genes from other bacteria or from viruses. Amazingly, we have evidence now that higher organisms can transfer genes this way as well. If the reader wants to explore this subject further, simply enter "genetic transfer" into a search engine and read to your hearts content. Even though genes from another organism can be ingested and integrated (this is how we got Mitochondria in our DNA)by ingestion the most famous and well known method for gene transfer between species is by retroviruses. Retroviruses are enveloped viruses, with an RNA genome. The name is derived from the fact that the virus particle contains an RNA-dependent DNA Polymerase (Reverse transcriptase). This enzyme converts the RNA genome into DNA, which then integrates into the host chromosomal DNA. The reverse transcriptase is highly error prone and rapid genetic variation is a feature of this group. Some Retroviruses transfer additional genetic host information to the new host. DNA analysis has shown that our nonfucntional DNA is populated with retroviral signatures.
In addition to viral transfer of viruses from one species to another we note other methods of mutation and gene transferance which include jumping genes which are called transposons and these are responsible for about 20% of an organism's genome! If you would enjoy a simple to understand explantion of jumping genes, just follow this link:
. http://biology.anu.edu.au/rsbsweb/publications/biologic11/genes.html
Integrating this and other information about what happens in our genes helps us now to know that there should be gaps in the fossil record! We have learned that entire sequences of genes become activated in certain circumstances and produce gross and well developed biological changes. In other words, instead of say getting an extra finger growing out of your side, you would get an entire arm with fingers as a result. If anyone wants to argue this point and lose, please let me know. haha
So, Jan is right about evolution being so well established that you can safely call it a fact as anything else we know in science. People who want to argue divine creationism need to get up to date with current scientific facts and understanding, and not pretend they are living back in the 1930's or earlier when evolution was a new science.
If anyone needs some book suggestions, would be glad to offer my recommendations.
Skipper
