Punctuated Equilibrium

I discuss the machanisms of punctuated equilibrium, showing it to be a well supported addition to theory of evolution. I also discuss certain possible mechanisms behind the explosions in evolutionary history.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Punctuated
• equilibrium
• evolution
• creationism
• darwin
• gould
• fossil
• record
• transitional

[FliteKing]

So,let me get this right... an increase in Cheetah speed is based on mutation(s)?

Is there any proof a Cheetah 100,000 years ago could not run as fast as a Cheetah today?

Faulty science --- we don't know the speed of the Cheetah 100,000 years ago.

Also, domestic dogs arose through mutations and not selective breeding?

Mere speculation.

Darwin's finches can show profound beak changes in as little as 2 generations. This is ADAPTATION, not mutation.

[Impaler1815]

The cheetah thing is just an example, the history of the evolution of the cheetah is irrelevant to the process I was talking about.

Many mutations have occured during the history of selective breeding.

Adaptation, microevolution, evolution, call it whatever you want, it doesn't change the fact that they're all different scales of the same process.

[pupitMastr]

Yet another problem: What do novel migration habits have to do with the "punctuated" origination of new species (to the world, not just an area)? And I'm guessing a very small % of all species actually participated in some sort of ice-bridge-crossing or continent-collision-hopping, anyway. To me this argument seems irrelevant to the general idea of punctuated equilibrium. Very few species affected by it, and doesn't say anything about quick evoluation, anyway.

[Impaler1815]

Yes I don't think it would have been incredibly common, and most of the gaps in the fossil record can be explained without it, but it's an idea that should be considered when required.

Thankyou for your criticsm. I freely admit this video is flawed, and may one day remake it now that I have almost a year of extra knowledge.

[dabomb448]

Thank you.

[circusOFprecision]

One thing is certain, gradualism is false. Punctuated Equilibrium is an interesting concept that implies the idea that the internal environments of living organisms are constantly striving for balance with the external environment. The difficulty is in the genetic mechanisms that allow this to systematically occur. It seems to me that the adaptation of Darwin is true, but the basis is not in random mutations, but calculated genetic mechanisms, hence huge leaps, not tiny steps.

[thewordofgod2010]

Dogs do not demonstrate evolution. Dog show us that we can isolate and eliminate EXISTING traits. You can breed a dog into a wolf but you cannot reverse the process because dogs only have a subset of the information needed for a wolf. This is Mendel's peas for goodness sake, the elimination of traits to gain a certain function. Dog's DID NOT evolve from wolves, it's more like Punctuated Decline. This is well understood and very basic in genetics.

[faelismaegnus]

You need to explain HOW and IF IT IS POSSIBLE for events like the Cambrian EXPLOSION (sudden species radiation) happened. What is your mechanism? Mutation rates for beneficial mutations (the kind that natural selection could possibly work on) are not compatible with the Cambrian explosion. Darwin predicted vast numbers of transitionals to account for the current diversity of life. But they simply do not exist.

[Retrieverman1]

Dogs are at least 15,000 years old, but they are a good example to point to punctuated equilibrium for a very simple reason: All of those hundreds of fancy dog breeds that took over the Western dog fancy appeared from various generic dogs within the past 150 years.

And then the Belyaev experiment with foxes showed that a wild dog could develop domesticated features within just a few years: Another example that points to punctuated equilibrium.

[Richy15251]

I liked the 'Pluto' analogy in reference to Creationists disregard to the self-correcting mechanism of science

[Richy15251]

I liked the 'Pluto' analogy in reference to Creationists disregard to the self-correcting mechanism of science

[zzytrewq]

This video is only suitable for rational people.

Creationists are advised to turn off now and go read the bible lest the reality of evolution make them doubt the bullshit they have been told to believe.

[mot5600]

ixnay the intro.

[AcanLord]

The miller-urey experiments and the peppered moths are not "jacked up" the Miller-urey experiments are in textbooks because they they produced results, Not only that but it lead to countless other experiments and research which lead to modern Abiogenesis research. A science that makes Real discoveries. The Peppered moths were simply a demonstration of how natural selection operates. How does any of this qualify as Jacked up?