Changes

B2- “Information” is not a scientific term nor is it defined on this website (in a scientific context).  

B2- “Information” is not a scientific term nor is it defined on this website (in a scientific context).  

B5 and 6- This is entirely subjective and as such does not have a place in an objective theory or critique of a theory. Additionally, the theory of evolution does not have to nor does it purport to explain aesthetics. Evolution explains the diversity of life. This point demonstrates a lack of understanding regarding evolutionary theory.

B5 and 6- This is entirely subjective and as such does not have a place in an objective theory or critique of a theory. Additionally, the theory of evolution does not have to nor does it purport to explain aesthetics. Evolution explains the diversity of life. This point demonstrates a lack of understanding regarding evolutionary theory.

B7- This shows absolutely nothing. If it’s like clockwork, then why is it 13 years for some parts of the world and 17 for other parts?  

B7- This shows absolutely nothing. If it’s like clockwork, then why is it 13 years for some parts of the world and 17 for other parts?  

B9- “Information” is not a scientific term nor is it defined on this website (in a scientific context).  

B9- “Information” is not a scientific term nor is it defined on this website (in a scientific context).  

B11- Symbiotic relationships increase the chances that a pair or group of organisms will survive because of cooperative effort. Such set-ups are more resistant to natural selection and as such are favored when natural selection applies pressure to the populations

B11- Symbiotic relationships increase the chances that a pair or group of organisms will survive because of cooperative effort. Such set-ups are more resistant to natural selection and as such are favored when natural selection applies pressure to the populations

B12- Complete speculation, we have no way of determining if other animals lack consciousness. We infer this from our lack of ability to communicate, but we cannot objectively demonstrate that we are the only creatures with a consciousness.  

B12- Complete speculation, we have no way of determining if other animals lack consciousness. We infer this from our lack of ability to communicate, but we cannot objectively demonstrate that we are the only creatures with a consciousness.  

B13- Speculation again, additionally evolution does not predict nor explain the presence of higher intellectual functions in humans.

B13- Speculation again, additionally evolution does not predict nor explain the presence of higher intellectual functions in humans.

B14- The processes that such parasites go through are well understood and documented  

B14- The processes that such parasites go through are well understood and documented  

http://knol.google.com/k/the-aspidogastrea-a-parasitological-model-i#

http://knol.google.com/k/the-aspidogastrea-a-parasitological-model-i#

B16- The temperature of the ambient water drops as you approach the poles, as such, a fish who gradually developed the genes for enduring in colder water could progress further north or south until they could withstand very cold temperatures. This process is well known and documented  

B16- The temperature of the ambient water drops as you approach the poles, as such, a fish who gradually developed the genes for enduring in colder water could progress further north or south until they could withstand very cold temperatures. This process is well known and documented  

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11181960

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11181960

B18- In many cases, we can look to the natural world for causes. Darwin’s famous finches are an example, many different subspecies of the same parent species evolved when several populations were established on the islands by birds blown onto the island by storms.

B18- In many cases, we can look to the natural world for causes. Darwin’s famous finches are an example, many different subspecies of the same parent species evolved when several populations were established on the islands by birds blown onto the island by storms.

C1- Evolution does not nor does it purport to explain the behavior of jellyfish.

C1- Evolution does not nor does it purport to explain the behavior of jellyfish.

C3- The subjective human idea of what is “good” and “bad” are not factors in evolution.

C3- The subjective human idea of what is “good” and “bad” are not factors in evolution.

C4- I cannot speak for Dawkins, but the occurrence of things like altruism in animals is fairly well understood. Altruistic behavior is a way for social groups to reinforce their bonds and improve the cohesion of the group itself. This behavior has been well documented among apes who will often give gifts to other apes in the same group for future favors. The behavior is never (to my knowledge) displayed in non-social species.  

C4- I cannot speak for Dawkins, but the occurrence of things like altruism in animals is fairly well understood. Altruistic behavior is a way for social groups to reinforce their bonds and improve the cohesion of the group itself. This behavior has been well documented among apes who will often give gifts to other apes in the same group for future favors. The behavior is never (to my knowledge) displayed in non-social species.  

C5- A mutation is not necessarily bad. A person’s genome has something like 10,000 mutations in it before that person is even born and most of us do pretty well.

C5- A mutation is not necessarily bad. A person’s genome has something like 10,000 mutations in it before that person is even born and most of us do pretty well.

C6- Some of us do have an immunity (or nearly so) to the HIV due to our exposure to the Black Death in our genetic past. HIV is not virulent enough to clear large sections of our population who aren’t immune. With a disease like the Black Death, it left enough people with immunity alive to reproduce and successfully repopulate, creating a population that was resistant or immune to the disease that caused the Black Death. At least until it returned after mutating.

 

C6- Some of us do have an immunity (or nearly so) to the HIV due to our exposure to the Black Death in our genetic past. HIV is not virulent enough to clear large sections of our  

population who aren’t immune. With a disease like the Black Death, it left enough people with immunity alive to reproduce and successfully repopulate, creating a population that was resistant or immune to the disease that caused the Black Death. At least until it returned after mutating.

 

C7- Traits are only selected out of a population if there is evolutionary pressure to do so. There has been little to no pressure on the human population to eradicate schizophrenia. If we were to start executing all schizophrenic people, then we’d see our instances of people developing the disorder drop after several dozen successive generations because the genes that make us susceptible to schizophrenia would not be passed on. And we do have a fairly good idea that genetics plays a big role in determining the manifesting of schizophrenia.   

C7- Traits are only selected out of a population if there is evolutionary pressure to do so. There has been little to no pressure on the human population to eradicate schizophrenia. If we were to start executing all schizophrenic people, then we’d see our instances of people developing the disorder drop after several dozen successive generations because the genes that make us susceptible to schizophrenia would not be passed on. And we do have a fairly good idea that genetics plays a big role in determining the manifesting of schizophrenia.   

C8- I only decreases the likelihood of finding a mate because we make a conscious choice to find it un-attractive. It hasn’t been selected out of our population because most men go bald AFTER they reproduce and the genes have already been passed on.  

C8- I only decreases the likelihood of finding a mate because we make a conscious choice to find it un-attractive. It hasn’t been selected out of our population because most men go bald AFTER they reproduce and the genes have already been passed on.  

D1- This quote is un-sourced and the link that goes to support it does not function.

D1- This quote is un-sourced and the link that goes to support it does not function.

D1- The human body has dozens of vestigial traits that have no current use. We do know what they are used for in other creatures and in apes and we don’t/cant use them in that way. The goosebump response is a prime example, goosebumps form on our skin when scared to make us look bigger, but no human has enough body hair to make this happen anymore. We also don’t have enough body hair for it to provide insulation. There are several muscles and muscle groups that serve no function in the human body, The human eye has something called the plica semilunaris, a musculature remnant of the nictitating membrane that many other creatures have (and we do not).

D1- The human body has dozens of vestigial traits that have no current use. We do know what they are used for in other creatures and in apes and we don’t/cant use them in that way. The goosebump response is a prime example, goosebumps form on our skin when scared to make us look bigger, but no human has enough body hair to make this happen anymore. We also don’t have enough body hair for it to provide insulation. There are several muscles and muscle groups that serve no function in the human body, The human eye has something called the plica semilunaris, a musculature remnant of the nictitating membrane that many other creatures have (and we do not).

D2- Junk DNA is a well-documented phenomenon in the human genome and is detailed in even the most elementary book on the subject of genetics.

D2- Junk DNA is a well-documented phenomenon in the human genome and is detailed in even the most elementary book on the subject of genetics.

D3- This point demonstrates a lack of understanding about how evolution works. Evolution does not “design”. It merely allows natural selection to remove organisms that are less suited for their environment such that their genetic information is not passed on. The human spine and sinus system are not fatal in their current configuration and as such there is no evolutionary pressure to stop people from passing on the genes for the setup of these systems.

D3- This point demonstrates a lack of understanding about how evolution works. Evolution does not “design”. It merely allows natural selection to remove organisms that are less suited for their environment such that their genetic information is not passed on. The human spine and sinus system are not fatal in their current configuration and as such there is no evolutionary pressure to stop people from passing on the genes for the setup of these systems.

D4- Very often our teeth ARE over-crowded and often some must be manually removed.

D4- Very often our teeth ARE over-crowded and often some must be manually removed.

D5- This point does not take into account the mountain of environmental factors that contribute towards this trend.

D5- This point does not take into account the mountain of environmental factors that contribute towards this trend.

D7- Drug-resistant pathogens are a perfect example of natural selection. In the case of MRSA, some of the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria have developed with a structure that renders them immune or resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. The bacteria that are not resistant to the antibiotics die when antibiotics are introduced into their environment and there is suddenly a gap left that the resistant strain quickly multiplies to fill.

D7- Drug-resistant pathogens are a perfect example of natural selection. In the case of MRSA, some of the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria have developed with a structure that renders them immune or resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics. The bacteria that are not resistant to the antibiotics die when antibiotics are introduced into their environment and there is suddenly a gap left that the resistant strain quickly multiplies to fill.

E1- Both toothed and baleen whales can trace their ancestral divergence to the Aetiocetus, the precursor to modern whales and dolphins. Interestingly enough, the Aetiocetus is an example of a transitional fossil.

 

E1- Both toothed and baleen whales can trace their ancestral divergence to the Aetiocetus, the precursor to modern whales and dolphins. Interestingly enough, the Aetiocetus is an example of a transitional fossil.

 

E2- Incorrect, we can trace the lineage of horses back to the Family Palaeotheriidae, which gave rise to modern horses, tapirs, and rhinoceros. Additionally, simply because a specific fossil has not been found yet, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. We have basal forms of horses and we have fossilized horse ancestors, so logically there IS an intermediary fossil.

E2- Incorrect, we can trace the lineage of horses back to the Family Palaeotheriidae, which gave rise to modern horses, tapirs, and rhinoceros. Additionally, simply because a specific fossil has not been found yet, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. We have basal forms of horses and we have fossilized horse ancestors, so logically there IS an intermediary fossil.

E3- Literally thousands of transitional fossils have been found.  

E3- Literally thousands of transitional fossils have been found.  

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-transitional.html

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-transitional.html

E4- The process is well documented

E4- The process is well documented

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK28332/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK28332/

E7- Right here http://www.evolution-textbook.org/content/free/figures/25_EVOW_Art/01_EVOW_CH25.jpg

E7- Right here http://www.evolution-textbook.org/content/free/figures/25_EVOW_Art/01_EVOW_CH25.jpg

F1- Raptorex’s validity has been called into question by the scientific community and (last I was aware) there were questions being raised if Raptorex wasn’t simply a baby Tyrannosaurs.  

F1- Raptorex’s validity has been called into question by the scientific community and (last I was aware) there were questions being raised if Raptorex wasn’t simply a baby Tyrannosaurs.  

G4- There are several examples of animals with wings that are also flightless but none the less are able to use their wings for other purposes.

G4- There are several examples of animals with wings that are also flightless but none the less are able to use their wings for other purposes.

G5- This staple argument of irreducible complexity has been thoroughly demolished

G5- This staple argument of irreducible complexity has been thoroughly demolished

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQQ7ubVIqo4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQQ7ubVIqo4

H1- Citing yourself is very VERY poor form.  

H1- Citing yourself is very VERY poor form.  

H2- This is speculation and as such does not belong in an objective article.

H2- This is speculation and as such does not belong in an objective article.

H3- The link for this is extremely poor, no names are provided to check the source and the scientist who allegedly announced this is un-named. It is a poorly sourced statement and should be removed.

 

H3- The link for this is extremely poor, no names are provided to check the source and the scientist who allegedly announced this is un-named. It is a poorly sourced statement and  

should be removed.

 

H4- Speculation again. We have no way of determining if other animals do or do not have religion.

H4- Speculation again. We have no way of determining if other animals do or do not have religion.

H5- “Kind” is not a scientific term

H5- “Kind” is not a scientific term

H6- Evolution does not purport to explain the aesthetic nature of kidneys.

H6- Evolution does not purport to explain the aesthetic nature of kidneys.

H7- Our bodies require regular rest and it makes the most sense for an organism built the way we are to rest when it is least able to defend itself; at night. Humans that rested during the day and hunted at night would have been selected against and the genomes that did not contain the genes for a circadian rhythm cycle would have died out.  

H7- Our bodies require regular rest and it makes the most sense for an organism built the way we are to rest when it is least able to defend itself; at night. Humans that rested during the day and hunted at night would have been selected against and the genomes that did not contain the genes for a circadian rhythm cycle would have died out.  

H8- Advancing evolution does not require one to be anti-religious. The theory of evolution does not deal with religion whatsoever

H8- Advancing evolution does not require one to be anti-religious. The theory of evolution does not deal with religion whatsoever