Evolution of Man

by bavman 63 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Midget-Sasquatch

  I'd say that the process of evolution is universal , because descent with modification, apparently happens amidst all living things. But evolution isn't teleological, in that all life inherently is progressing in a particular direction.

  So to your implied question of what makes some species chosen ones, so to speak, and others left behind, especially when you've got similar organisms in the same environment: How does this sound to you?

  Like already mentioned, mutations are random. Different ones happen in different species as well as among individuals within a species. Also, there can me many niches within the same local environment.

  But since you don't see fishes generally needing digits or limbs like tetrapods to keep passing on their genes, there's no real pressure to take on those changes. A certain mutation may only be advantageous in a particular niche within an environment, and only individuals with the suitable mutations could exploit it. This could bring about a different subpopulation.
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  Robert K Stock

  Turtles and Crocodiles have changed very little while Horses have changed greatly. Each species evolves at it's own pace. Modern humans have been around for about 100,000 years so that is not very much time for drastic change.
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  peacefulpete

  So many good comments, and really there is little to add but that evolution directed by survival of the fittest has been stymied by our mastery of disease and environment and globalization. Yet we are evolving due to simple gentic drift. The rate of overall change will continue slow as long as genetic anomalies continue to return to the larger gene pool and are diluted. Rapid speciation requires isolation. Gentic drift (simple accumulated gentic modification) works it's magic in circumstances free of great threat to survival without the resulting species necessarily being any more fit per say. As humans evolve we may in fact become less fit to survive without our devices and social umbrella. Also it is quite sober and reasonable to assume that humnas will become proficient at genetic engineering and design humans that will thrive in enviroments that are now toxic. Perhaps methane atmospheres will one day be viewed edenic rather than lethal.
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  bavman

  El Blanko,

  Thanks, I believe that was what I was reading. That puts things in better perspective for me. Thanks to everyone else as well for putting together great responses as to why it may appear as though evolution of man has stopped, however, it of course has not. That seems pretty apparent to me anyway when I take a slow look at nature all around me and look at the history of the earth and the fossil record. Creationists? I need more than that.
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  hooberus

  The following arcticle has implications for claims of past human evolution as well as for claims of future evolution.

  http://www.evolutionfairytale.com/articles_debates/mutation_rate.htm
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  peacefulpete

  response to Williams: CB121: Haldane's Dilemma
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  hooberus

  response to Williams: CB121: Haldane's Dilemma

  The above Talk Origins arcticle is not a response to Fred Williams, but is a response to ReMine. The Talk Origins arcticle also links to an arcticle by evolutionist Robert Williams. Anyway, the above Talk Origins arcticle contains errors (I don't see how they could have even read ReMine carefully). I hope to post them shortly.
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  peacefulpete

  R. William's article was linked as part of the discussion, the whole premise behind both sides the debate are far too calculated, based upon mathmatically arrived assumptions and speculation that is IMO an exercise in technobabble.
• 

  funkyderek

  hooberus:

  I hope to post them shortly.

  Heh! We've all heard that before. I for one won't be holding my breath.
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  hooberus

  Claim CB121:

  J. B. S. Haldane calculated that new genes become fixed only after 300 generations due to the cost of natural selection (Haldane 1957). Since humans and apes differ in 4.8 × 10 7 genes, there has not been enough time for difference to accumulate. Only 1,667 gene substitutions could have occurred if their divergence was ten million years ago.

  Source:

  ReMine, Walter J., 1993. The Biotic Message, St. Paul Science, Inc.

  Remine's argument did not deal with the amount of difference between humans and modern apes, but instead with the amount of beneficial mutation substitutions possible (according to the standard evolution model) in the lineage leading directly to man from an ancient ape ancestor 10 million years ago.

  ReMine (1993), who promotes the claim, makes several invalid assumptions:

  • The vast majority of differences would probably be due to genetic drift, not selection.

  ReMine never made this assumption. He never implied that the majority of substitutions in a lineage would be due to selection. I have read much of ReMine's book and don't see how the Talk Origins authors could have even read ReMine at all carefully.