Predation is Good

pdd@gcc.cc.md.us
23 Jul 1996 21:26:52 EDT

GM>I would like to point out that
>predation is good. And God uses it to increase the number of species
>which can live on the earth.

GM>You mis-understand here. I did not say predators create new species.
>Predators keep existing species from reproducing so rapidly that all
>others are squeezed out of the living space.

GM>Your argument is based upon the assumption that predation creates new
>species. This is not at all what this is about. It is about species
>maintenance.

GM>Once again, I am not, NOT extrapolating this into an evolutionary
>mechanism.

OK, predation is about species maintenance and not God increasing the
number of species which can live on Earth.

After posting my last response, I thought that a better test of the
hypothesis posed in your original post would be to introduce a predator
into a community and observe whether there is in fact an increase in
diversity of the prey species.

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Rv:4:11: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for
thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
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Paul Durham
Oakland, Maryland
pdd@gcc.cc.md.us

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