On Sep 2, 2005, at 6:03 AM, Leonard Matusik wrote:
Thu, 1 Sep 2005 13:02:44 -0200 Alberto Monteiro wrote:
Leonard Matusik wrote:
PS: with all the reproductive isolation we've foisted upon dogs (not
to mention rats!) Why haven't we created any new species?
We have. Dogs _are_ an artificial creation of Humanity
Alberto Monteiro
Sorry, (pending opinions of a better biologist than me) I disagree.
What you probably haven't considered is that speciation in complex
animals or plants is a very, very slow process. It won't happen in a
single lifetime, and it won't happen in recorded human generations'
history either. (We've only been keeping track for about 40K years,
after all.)
Development of entirely new multicellular species requires sufficient
time that it's actually recorded geologically rather than historically.
This should be the first hint that you're expecting the impossible, at
least on the macroscopic level.
But what you're also overlooking is that microbes are adapting
extremely well to antibiotics, and HIV is a new species. (Ebola could
be as well, I suppose, in addition to the diseases that seem to keep
cropping up in China.)
So you've actually seen one new species emerge and another collection
of them in development already. That they're microscopic doesn't affect
the facts.
That is one of the big problems with the ModernSynthesis. All the
proof is inferred.
No it's not. There are nice, solid fossil records showing a
transitional-form track from terrestrial predator to modern whale, for
instance; and molecular biology is, every day, uncovering the
breadcrumb trails in DNA that show clearly what's related to what … and
often, by how far removed.
If indeed mutations are random and reproductive isolation is paramount
to speciation, we have met that goal. Dogs should have split from
wolves and become a separate species; not able to share their DNA with
the parent line.
Again, no. Speciation is slower than that. As William pointed out there
are plenty of examples of *close* species which can interbreed but
which will produce mules as offspring. The various kinds of porpoise
are an example of this. (As are horses and donkeys. ;)
PS:furthermore; I want my great-grandkids toes to be about 4mm longer
with some proper claws at the tips! I'm not able to figure out what
the hell these "toenails" are for!
Perhaps you should look up the term "vestigial" in the dictionary
sometime. It'll also explain male nipples.
--
Warren Ockrassa, Publisher/Editor, nightwares Books
http://books.nightwares.com/
Current work in progress "The Seven-Year Mirror"
http://www.nightwares.com/books/ockrassa/Flat_Out.pdf
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