On Tue, 9 Jul 1996 20:43:12 -0400 (EDT), Darrin R. Brooker wrote:
DB>Can you please explain to us laymen out here what is meant by this
>quote you posted.
I am a "layman" too! :-)
DBI think my problem lies in the definition of radiation. Just
>hoping you can further expand upon this. Thanks.
SJ>"In progressive creationism there may be much horizontal
>radiation. The amount is to be determined by the geological record
>and biological experimentation. But there is no vertical radiation.
>Vertical radiation is only by fiat creation. A root-species may
>give rise to several species by horizontal radiation, through the
>process of the unraveling of gene potentialities or recombination.
>Horizontal radiation could account for much which now passes as
>evidence for the theory of evolution. The gaps in the geological
>record are gaps because vertical progress takes place only by
>creation." (Ramm B. "The Christian View of Science and Scripture",
>Paternoster: London, 1955, p191)
I agree that "radiation" is a bit vague. The defintion is Ramm's and
he does not expand on it. I have posted this quote many times and no
one before you has said they don't understand it! :-) The word
"radiation" is probably used in its original sense of "root", hence
Ramm's use of "root-species". Ramm would regard the "vertical
radiation" as the origin of that root-species.
Steve Clark has said that it means "macroevolution" vs
"microevolution" but that is too broad. From my perspective it means
the origin of new basic design (vertical) vs the elaboration of that
design (horozontal). This origin of basic design theme is common in
Gould's thinking:
"The sweep of anatomical variety reached a maximum right after the
initial diversification of multicellular animals. The later history
of life proceeded by elimination, not expansion. The current earth
may hold more species than ever before, but most are iterations upon
a few basic anatomical designs. (Taxonomists have described more
than a half million species of beetles, but nearly all are minimally
altered Xeroxes of a single ground plan.) In fact, the probable
increase in number of species through time merely underscores the
puzzle and paradox. Compared with the Burgess seas, today's oceans
contain many more species based upon many fewer anatomical plans."
(Gould S.J., "Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of
History", Penguin: London, 1991, p46-47)
Ramm would no doubt say that the origin of the beetle archetypal
ground plan was the "vertical radiation", while the xeroxing of that
basic design plan was the "horizontal radiation".
God bless.
Steve
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| Stephen E (Steve) Jones ,--_|\ sejones@ibm.net |
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