From: Terry M. Gray (grayt@lamar.colostate.edu)
Date: Tue Jan 28 2003 - 10:38:28 EST
Josh,
Interesting to see Ruse using this title.
Personally, I think that evo-devo folks certainly compete with narrow
neo-Darwinian views. If that's how you neo-Darwinism = Darwinism then
it's true of Darwinism as well. In my old essay on the ASA web site
critiquing Mike Behe's views
(http://www.asa3.org/evolution/irred_compl.html), I raise all sorts
of non-Darwinian "mechanisms" (endosymbiosis, self-organization, gene
duplication, developmental gene mutations/"hopeful monster"
mutations, et al.) to which could be added various now well known
mechanisms such as whole genome duplication, genome merging,
chromosome rearrangements, morphological restraints, etc. There's a
very interesting discussion of a variety of these mechanism in Lynn
Margulis' new book *Acquiring Genomes*. Toward the end of my review
of *Darwin on Trial*
(http://www.asa3.org/gray/evolution_trial/dotreview.html) I mention
the new evo-devo synthesis that is suggested most strongly by Scott
F. Gilbert's chapter on evolution in his Developmental Biology
textbook.
Frankly, I think that these ideas are well within an evolutionary
paradigm and are fairly easily incorporated into a Darwinian paradigm
as mechanisms of "mutation" on which selection can operate. I think
were it not for the "need" of evolutionists to close ranks to stem
the YEC/ID tide that there would be much more popular discussion of
some of these things, but YEC/ID people have so quickly jumped on
this discussion and then argued that all is not well in the evolution
house that the ideas are not getting the hearing that they otherwise
would. Too bad, I think.
I wonder if Ruse is making a national tour--anyone know? I'd love to
hear this lecture.
TG
>February 18
>"Evo-Devo. Is This a Rival Paradigm to Darwinism?"
> Michael Ruse, Ph.D.
> Department of Philosophy
> Florida State University
> Hosted by: Fred Grinnell
>
>
>
>Whew, I almost forgot he was coming to Southwestern. Thanks for the
>preview and reminder, sounds interesting!!
>
>
>
>Josh
>
>
>>From: "bivalve" <bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com>
>>Reply-To: <bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com>
>>To: <asa@calvin.edu>
>>Subject: Darwin, from RAPID RESPONSE REPORT
>>Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 19:16:55 -0500
>>
>>Just back from a guest lecture by Michael Ruse, the main point of
>>which was the non-incompatibility of faith and evolution, as
>>exemplified by Darwin. It was rather peculiar hearing a good
>>explanation of the gospel from a professed nonbeliever (in his
>>discussion of creation science, etc. as a distraction from the
>>point of Christianity). Ruse identified Darwin's views at the time
>>he was thinking about evolution as deistic.
>>
>> Dr. David Campbell
>> Old Seashells
>> University of Alabama
>> Biodiversity & Systematics
>> Dept. Biological Sciences
>> Box 870345
>> Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0345 USA
>> bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com
>>
>>That is Uncle Joe, taken in the masonic regalia of a Grand Exalted
>>Periwinkle of the Mystic Order of Whelks-P.G. Wodehouse, Romance at
>>Droitgate Spa
>>
>
>_________________________________________________________________
>Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online
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-- _________________ Terry M. Gray, Ph.D., Computer Support Scientist Chemistry Department, Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado 80523 grayt@lamar.colostate.edu http://www.chm.colostate.edu/~grayt/ phone: 970-491-7003 fax: 970-491-1801
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