Tree of life not real (Introduction)

by Balance_Maintained , U.S.A., Thursday, February 20, 2014, 02:22 (3907 days ago) @ David Turell

David: This discussion must have some starting point decisions: 1) is the Earth really layered and are those layers related to time? 2) Is the Earth truly 4.5 billion years old? 3) Is it true that life can only come from life? 4) Is it possible that all the existent fossils in the layers of the Earth were placed there to fool us? 5) Is it possible that all the currently existing living species on Earth were created at the same time?-> > 
> > Tony: 1 Possibly, but there are other explanations that have been tested in laboratory experiments that show that other methods are possible that do not require this to be true or for #4 to be true.
> 
> David: I think (1) is absolutely true. I've seen the layers up close.
> > -I'm not denying layers exist. 
See: http://creation.com/sedimentation-experiments-nature-finally-catches-up and 
http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Glossary/Floods/description_floods.html
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/volcanoes/hazards/primer/move.html-Layers and their contents are not good indicators of absolute chronology. -> > Tony:2 we can only speculate about. There is too much disagreement between dating techniques and their application, not to mention circular reasoning to say anything for certain.
> 
>David: I know that the dating procedures are in agreement at about a 15-20% difference. That there has been inferential some circular reasoning I admit, but radioactive decay is rather a fixed and fairly accurate method.-An example of WHY I don't trust dating techniques:-New 40K-40Ar and fission-track ages from volcanic ash partings in coal beds of the Eocene Puget Group of western Washington indicate a time span of about 41.2 ± 1.8 to 45.0 ± 2.1 (2σ) m.y. for the 1,890-m section of sediments exposed in the Green River area. These age data do not entirely support the previous early Eocene through early Oligocene paleobotanical age estimates for this section and for the four paleobotanical stages defined within it. Radiometric dating of floras assigned to the same stages outside the type section appears to be partially inconsistent with radiometric ages from the type section.(Turner, Frizzle, Tripplehorn, Naeser, 1983)--> > Tony: 5) Possible, but not required. Even a believer of the bible need not accept that statement as true, because the creation account explicitly sets different time periods for the creation of plants, fish, birds, and land animals. The number of actual separate species(as opposed to variations of the same species) is actually quite small.
> 
> 99% of all species that ever existed are now extinct. There hve been lots of species. So do you believe in a creation that took six days or six eons? I'm still for theistic evolution as the best explanation.-This depends on how we define species, as DHW pointed out, and I am not in agreement with the common usage because it does not differentiate between breedable and non-breedable groups, only between those that DO breed, and those that don't. In an environment where the choice is present, individuals tend to stick to those most similar to themselves, which does not preclude them from mixing if the choice is removed.

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What is the purpose of living? How about, 'to reduce needless suffering. It seems to me to be a worthy purpose.