Questions about evolution and origins

[meltzerboy2]

Or even the notion of built-in redundancy, and even with regard to brain function in which one part of the brain can compensate, to a degree, for a malfunctioning other part. Let alone neuroplasticity, in which the brain can grow new neuronal connections.

 

[buffalo]

God only conferred upon us a spine only partially adapted to bipedalism.

This is a nonsense claim. Partially adapted, geesh… You know this how? Do you know the starting design parameters.

 

[edwest211]

Neuroplasticity is quite remarkable. However, the mechanisms are still under investigation. One of my areas of interest is molecular switches. They have to turn on and off precisely to control the flow of various chemicals to perform cell functions. If one stays on then problems can occur.

 

[niceatheist]

Do vestigial hindlimbs on a whale serve a purpose? Why would the genes, inhibited as they are by HOX genes, be present in cetaceans?

 

[buffalo]

Do vestigial hindlimbs on a whale serve a purpose?

Check up on this. They are not hindlimbs.

 

[niceatheist]

niceatheist:

Do vestigial hindlimbs on a whale serve a purpose?

Check up on this. They are not hindlimbs.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.177.6790&rep=rep1&type=pdf

 

[niceatheist]

Pattylt:

We work guide well without our tonsils, appendix and gallbladder. How is that possible?

As we learn more so called vestigial organs serve a purpose. I thought evolution talks populations not individuals.

https://www.cell.com/current-biolog...m/retrieve/pii/S0960982212007944?showall=true

 

[Wesrock]

Evolution has no utility. That’s why Bioinformatics was created.

Neither does history class, then.

 

[buffalo]

Whale Sex: It’s All In The Hips​

September 8, 2014

Pressroom

Pressroom provides the latest news releases and access to USC experts and media contacts to journalists all in one reliable resource.

pressroom.usc.edu

 

[niceatheist]

True Vestigial Structures in Whales and Dolphins | National Center for Science Education

What Is a Vestigial Structure?

ncse.ngo

 

[edwest211]

Apples to ice cubes.

 

[lelinator]

From where does the mind learn and know the concepts it makes the reality with? Are you supposing it just has them innately? But then, why aren’t you at all times knowing these things instead of the normal human experience of coming to know things?

First, I wanted to apologize for not answering your question, but it is off topic. Which is sad because it’s one of my favorite questions about solipsism. On the one hand because it’s a question that skeptics think is unanswerable, and yet the answer is actually quite simple. And second because in my understanding of the self as a trinity, the answer to this question tells us something about the cause.

But I also wanted to thank you, because although I decided not to answer your question, I couldn’t help but contemplate it, and in contemplating it, I think that I figured out what the cause is. I had believed that the cause was some mysterious unexplainable thing, but now I don’t think so. And for that I wanted to thank you.

With that said, you can go back to thinking that I’m crazy, and I’ll go back to being content in my delusion.

Have a nice weekend. And resume whatever it is that you all were discussing.

 

[whatistrue]

each one necessary for survival

Necessary for survival is not the actual criterion. Helps to survive at least a little better is the standard. Not detrimental to survival is enough to keep it around, all else being equal.

 

[edwest211]

Vague does not help.

 

[whatistrue]

Case in point…

 

[po18guy]

There are differing definitions of missing link. We now know yours. I ask, where are the millions of internmediary evolutionary steps between the highest primate and mankind? I ean, wouldn’t a 99% man still be with us? 98% and so on?

Huge, insurmountable gap.

 

[rossum]

There are differing definitions of missing link.

But they all agree that the missing link is… missing. We have plenty of found links.

On the other hand, you have no fossils of Adam, Eve, Seth, Mrs. Seth etc. You have no found links at all, just missing links.

Pot. Kettle. Black.

I ask, where are the millions of internmediary evolutionary steps between the highest primate and mankind?

Biology 101: Homo sapiens is a primate. There are no intermediary steps between H. sapiens and the “highest primate” because we are the highest primate.

Obvious errors like this do not do your side any favours. Lack of knowledge is curable by learning: “An intelligent mind acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” - Proverbs 18:15.

 

[Bradskii]

Obvious errors like this do not do your side any favours.

As we know all too well, this is as good as it gets.

Not so much Pot. Kettle. Black. More like Barrel. Fish. Gun.

Or maybe Foot. Gun. Bang.

 

[po18guy]

I fail to understand the pretzel logic in your “reply.” Could you please re-phrase it so that it makes sense. It reads like sputtered-out insults.

But then again, I am wrong on so many things…

 

[rossum]

I fail to understand the pretzel logic in your “reply.”

OK. A “missing link” is missing, because it has not been found. It might be found in future, but up to now it has not been found. Hence it is not sensible to ask for a missing link.

Contrasting with the missing links are the found links: Australopithecus africanus, Homo habilis, Homo heidelbergensis and others. Asking for those is sensible.

I also pointed out that Biblical literalists assert the existence of Adam, Eve, Seth etc while having no fossil evidence of any of them. They expect science to have all the links while ignoring the fact that they have no found links at all – all they have are missing links.

The last part of my post was basic biology, Homo sapiens is a primate. We have the characteristics of a primate. Evolution is part of biology, so it you want to discuss evolution then you need a basic understanding of biology.