Speciation in real time - Evolution in the News

February, 2010
Usually speciation occurs over long periods of time, but this month we look at two examples of evolution occuring in a few decades. Carlos Botero, a post-doctoral fellow at the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, talks about his work on speciation in mockingbirds which occurs over longer time frames. Dr. Botero explains how scientists study historical evolutionary events by comparing traits in modern species with phylogenetic models.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• NESCent
• Understanding
• Evolution

[lapmarty]

@Chuichupachichi the only objection you bring him is religious in nature i guess,?

[lapmarty]

@Chuichupachichi your understanding of evolution is at best basic, a bit like a 6 years old child can conceived it,

you assume a mutation is a defect, wich it isnt necesseraly,

the mutation of the melamine production gene, was a advantage for the population that migrated north, because there was less barrier to sunlight, they absorbed more vitamin d, so they pass this gene on,

this mutation would be a DEFect if youd lived in a dessert,

[Chuichupachichi]

@empidonaxdvg

Atheists picked one helluva natural law, to which, to be diametrically opposed. Good luck with that battle. Nothing has ever won against Entropy... the consummate killer that kills even non-living things

[Chuichupachichi]

@empidonaxdvg

Evolutionists operate from a prejudicial position. The fact is that the data from science, when pertinent to origins, is contrary to Evolutionary theory. Even a simple analysis of language reveals the truth. The word "evolution", by definition, describes a incrementally generative progressive process that entails greater order, complexity or functionality. By definition, the word "Entropy" describes a degenerative process in the direction of greater disorder

[Chuichupachichi]

@empidonaxdvg

Also, Evolutionists insist that they are biologically composed 100% of millions of retained, accumulated, reproductive defects

Your mind operates in precisely the same manner as do those of other Evolutionists. You have predetermined the ends, according to your desires. After that, its easy for the deceivers to come along & present what merely appears to be evidence. Then the predeterminers are happy to perceive it as true evidence because it conforms to their desire

[Chuichupachichi]

@empidonaxdvg

Evolution postulates that only particular mutants will survive. Thus, all normal individuals will die

{by reproductive defects I assume you mean individuals with mutations}

Mutations are reproductive defects...thats a fact of Biology. During reproduction, a process is executed, in which, cells are copied. On rare occasions, a dysfunction occurs during the execution of that process & a cell is incorrectly reproduced. Its a inaccurate copy...a reproductive defect

[empidonaxdvg]

3) cont...only it can't if A) there is no genetic variation for the trait in question, B) morphological, physiological, etc. constraints on the species in question prevent selection from 'achieving' the necessary optimum for the given trait, C) current changes that threaten a species are occurring too fast for selection to keep up etc.

I encourage you and the other misinformed individuals to read either "Why Evolution is True" by Jerry Coyne or "The Greatest Show on Earth" by Richard Dawkins.

[empidonaxdvg]

2) "Furthermore, that while a environmentally threatened species is numerically abundant, it struggles against extinction....." -- I'm honestly not even sure what you are trying to say. A numerically abundant species can indeed be at risk for extinction if its current habitat is threatened by current or future changes (climate change is a great example). However, your claim that a species overcomes this threat by having a reduced population size is blatantly incoherent.

[empidonaxdvg]

@Chuichupachichi Sorry, but you are dead wrong.

1) "All normal individuals fail to survive, while a few reproductive defects do survive." -- Not even close. I'd encourage you to google "stabilizing selection", wherein individuals with average traits have the highest fitness. And by reproductive defects I assume you mean individuals with mutations that their parents did not have, which hardly constitutes a "reproductive defect" (even you have mutations that your parents do not have).

[Chuichupachichi]

Understand what Evolutionary Theory is truly postulating

All normal individuals fail to survive, while a few reproductive defects do survive. Furthermore, that while a environmentally threatened species is numerically abundant, it struggles against extinction. However, a species achieves its greatest degree of survivability & overcomes the threat of extinction, due to having been numerically reduced to a handful of reproductive defects

Evolution theory says wildlife conservationists are stupid