Religious rite gives evolution a helping hand (from NS)

[PoopShoot]

But this is just micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.

Damn, there's no "choke" smiley.

[Asmodean]

But this is just micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.

Damn, there's no "choke" smiley.

This here one >>  

[PoopShoot]

But I don't want to hurt ME.

[tymygy]

But this is just micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.

I was waiting for this..

Well, Micro-evolution IS macro-evolution. Over time alot of micro-evolution would occur and eventually turn into macro-evolution.

[PoopShoot]

Yeah, trying to pretend they're different is like trying to pretend walking to the kitchen is different than walking down the street.

[The Magic Pudding]

But this is just micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.

Do many creationists cover their eyes with black cloth?
It must be very useful in maintaining their opinions.

[Parsifal]

But this is just micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.

I was waiting for this..

Well, Micro-evolution IS macro-evolution. Over time alot of micro-evolution would occur and eventually turn into macro-evolution.

It is amazing that they don't see the wood for the trees.

[Parsifal]

But this is just micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.

Do many creationists cover their eyes with black cloth?
It must be very useful in maintaining their opinions.

LMFAO  

[karadan]

But this is just micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.

Erm, you a christian? Did i miss something?

[PoopShoot]

But this is just micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.

Erm, you a christian? Did i miss something?

Apparently the worldview listed to the right of his post.

[karadan]

But this is just micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.

Erm, you a christian? Did i miss something?

Apparently the worldview listed to the right of his post.

Well slap my thighs and ping my longjohns! All this time i thought Reginus was an atheist!

Don't ask me why.. My brain works in mysterious ways.

So with that settled, is Reginus actually being serious about the micro-evolution thing? If so, where's Squid?

[PoopShoot]

So with that settled, is Reginus actually being serious about the micro-evolution thing? If so, where's Squid?

IDK, but if he is, Squid will be of no help, as you have to have even the slightest understanding of evolution to understand anything he'd say on the issue.

[Tank]

But this is just micro-evolution, not macro-evolution.

Consider this. Nobody has ever seen a tree grow. We know they grow because we can see (measure) them getting bigger each year and if left to grow for a long enough time when we cut them down we can see the growth rings in a trunk. In one case we see an acorn grow into an oak tree. If you just saw an acorn could you tell it would grow into a oak tree if you did not know the acorn was the seed of an oak tree? No, you could not. So you call on knowledge about plant growth, one observes growth and with no experiments whatsoever you can deduce that an acorn will, if given the right conditions, grow into an oak tree. Object A, the acorn, changes into object B, the oak tree over time.

Micro evolution, over sufficient time and with appropriate selection pressures leads to macro evolution. The step between each and every generation of every organism has the potential for micro evolution, just as each day has the potential for growth in the oak tree. Macro evolution is simply the accumulated effects of micro evolution.

[Thumpalumpacus]

Indeed.  An artificial division, imposed (tellingly) by those who reject evolution altogether anyway.

Anyone who wishes to argue that "microevolution" cannot become "macroevolution" needs to posit a mechanism by which micro- is limited after X number of mutations.

It's sad that this argument still needs to be rebutted.

[SSY]

I agree with poopshoot, this is not necessarily evidence for evolution. The fish collected from the cave may have been exposed to the toxin for the last 10 years, which could effect their resistance to it, just like someone who drinks heavily and regularly will have an increased resistance to the effects of alcohol.

To be sure, they could analyse the genomes of the two fish populations, or they could keep the fish, poison free until they had kids (maybe grandkids, to be sure), and then test the new offspring, which would tell us whether it was an inherited mutation or a physiological change imposed by the environment.

NB as I read the article, I did not see that they ate the stunned fish (in this particular instance, I know they do elsewhere), and if there is no eating, then there is less of a selective pressure on the fish. Even if they do eat the fish they stun, it would still need to be proven, as I outlined above to be sure evolution is happening, even though it is eminently plausible, we should always take proof when we can get it.