Re: Student perceptions re evolution

From: Jay Willingham (jaywillingham@cfl.rr.com)
Date: Thu Aug 21 2003 - 14:06:06 EDT

  • Next message: Jay Willingham: "Fw: Student perceptions re evolution"

    A most excellent beginning for creating a course on the subject.

    Whence cometh all things vegetable and mineral and temporal and powerful
    (energetically speaking)?

    Where did evolution begin? Eden?

    Did it re-start on Ararat?

    Man as the intelligent designer: selective breeding and genetic
    manipulation.

    ----- Original Message -----
    From: "bivalve" <bivalve@mail.davidson.alumlink.com>
    To: <asa@calvin.edu>
    Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2003 12:56 PM
    Subject: Re: Student perceptions re evolution

     Modern definitions of biological evolution generally focus on something
    like a change in gene frequencies over time. Such a definition leaves aside
    the question of how extensive a role it has had.
    >
    > We can observe the natural or experimental creation of new species and
    genera. Given the somewhat arbitrary definition of taxa, especially higher
    taxa, it is hard to claim that something is a new family, etc. However, no
    particular barrier is evident to prevent larger changes, comparable to those
    considered to distinguish major taxa. For example, the major groups of
    arthropods (subphyla or classes) are distinguished based on the number,
    position, and kind of body regions and appendages. E.g., insects have six
    legs, in the middle, two antennae and jaws on the front, and no jointed
    appendages on the back end. However, a mutant fruit fly has been made with
    legs instead of antennae, thus disqualifying it from the basic characters of
    being an insect. Likewise, the morphological and genetic differences
    between higher taxa appear quantitatively rather than qualitatively
    different from those at lower levels (in fact, a major difference in one
    group may be a minor difference in!
    > others).
    >
    > 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
    >
    >



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