Transcript Uncertainty in Biology

Uncertainty in Biology
At least we can be certain
that evolution is true. These
two have told us.
At least we can be certain
that evolution is true.
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2.
Many scientists disagree! Also it depends on
what you mean by “Evolution”! Causes
confusion!
“Macro” evolution by spontaneous natural
process – order from chaos
“Macro” evolution guided by designer
Creation not requiring an evolution process
– In other words Darwinian evolution is just
one of several hypothesis or models to
explain the untestable past
At least we can be certain
that evolution is true.
1.
Also as scientists we need to
distinguish between “Macro” and
“Micro” evolution.
At least we can be certain
that evolution is true.
1.
Macro evolution
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2.
e.g. humans originated from lifeless
chemicals!
Micro evolution
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e.g. Peppered moth adapts to environment
BUT – it is still a moth!! (so why is it used
as evidence of macro evolution in text
books?!)
At least we can be certain
that evolution is true.
Amongst the scientific community there is a great
deal of scientific scepticism of Neo-Darwinism:
Public Statement has currently over 700 signatures
Of these a significant number are
“Young Earth” scientists
They used science to
demonstrate it.
1.
2.
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5.
Have a hypothesis.
Make observations and
measurements.
Make suggested conclusions based
on data.
Peer review.
Reject or accept hypothesis.
We can be certain
because:
The fossil record.
Fossils give us intermediate
forms (fish to tetrapod
transition).
Fossils give us intermediate
forms (fish to tetrapod
transition).
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Darwin’s Enigma
– “The geological record is extremely imperfect
and this fact will to a large extent explain why
we do not find intermediate varieties, connecting
together all the extinct and existing forms of life
by the finest graduating steps. He who rejects
these views on the nature of the geological
record, will rightly reject my whole theory.”
– Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species…….
Fossils give us intermediate
forms (fish to tetrapod
transition).
“fossils such as Acanthostega are regarded by
some evolutionary palaeontologists as
‘missing links’ not because they are, but
because they are believed to be. As
Patterson says, it is ‘in the mind’, because
‘missing links’ are a philosophical
necessity—to somehow provide ‘proof’ for
their evolutionary faith”
 Andrew Snelling BSc (Hons), PhD
Artificial Selection
Artificial Selection
Another Pigeon
A Pigeon
You get the
picture!
Big Dog
Little Dog
They are both still dogs!
All life has things in
common.
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DNA (the universal code in living
organisms)
Amino acids
Proteins
All life has things in
common.
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Indeed…..much as a designer may
utilise a common platform in his
designs, so nature seems to have
been created using a common set of
genetic instructions.
– Why not re-use certain proteins in
different species…that makes perfect
sense from an intelligent design point of
view?
Vestigal organs.
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What is the appendix for?
Why have we still got it?
Is there selection pressure to have a
larger one?
Vestigal organs.
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‘vestigial’ : an organ that once was useful
in an animal’s evolutionary past, but that
now is useless or very close to useless.
The list of vestigial organs in humans has
shrunk from 180 in 1890 to 0 in present
day.
– Bergman and Howe, 1990
Vestigal organs.
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So what of the apparently useless
appendix?
The appendix is part of the immune
system, strategically located at the
entrance of the almost sterile ileum from
the colon with its normally high bacterial
content
Predictable Biogeography
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Marsupial distribution – why?
Out-competed everywhere else by
placental mammals
Evolution can be observed in
the process of speciation.
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E.g. Drosophila
Imperfections – why would
a creator produce imperfect
organisms
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E.g. Blind spot in the eye.
Imperfections – why would
a creator produce imperfect
organisms
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Eye often used (by Dawkins for
example) to argue that there can’t be
an Intelligent Designer since the eye
has a flawed design!
However….it is merely ignorance of
eye’s physiology that leads to such a
conclusion!
Imperfections – why would
a creator produce imperfect
organisms
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The blind spot does not reduce vision quality.
Each eye sees a slightly different visual field; large areas
overlap. Each eye has a blind spot where the optic nerve
passes through the retina to reach the brain, this blind
spot falls on a different place in each retina.
Info from both eyes is then combined so that these visual
blind spots are not normally perceived. Therefore because
the other eye fills in the gap, special tests are normally
required to even notice it.
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(He and Davis 2001).
Intelligent Design: Irreducible
Complexity
• 40 different complex
protein components
• Absence of any one of
these causes the rotor
to fail!
• Therefore all parts will
have had to evolve
simultaneously in order
to produce a functional
advantage to the
bacteria….unlikely!
Therefore an Intelligent Designer needed.