Epigenetics: through phenotype changes? (Introduction)

by David Turell , Saturday, January 17, 2015, 14:35 (3599 days ago) @ dhw


> dhw: I'm trying to pin you down on the issue of how you think evolution works, and I'm using the weaverbird's nest as a test case. For the sake of argument, I continue to wear my theist hat, and offer these theistic choices: 1) God preprogrammed the first cells to pass on the design of the weaverbird's nest; 2) God dabbled to design the nest; 3) God provided the first cells with an inheritable, autonomous, intelligent, inventive mechanism which enabled the weaverbird to design its nest for itself. If you think any of these three hypotheses could be combined, please tell me how. If you can't, it's either 1, 2 or 3, so please tell me which you think is most likely.-We are full circle back to my dilemma. I don't know. By a process of elimination, recognizing that chance mutations won't work, I'm left with the conclusion that God guided evolution, and you want me to tell you how, and I can't. Your three alternatives are correct considerations. The only other possibility is the concept (Sheldrake) of species consciousness combined with an IM (God-given) so that the whole flock of weaverbirds worked it out over a period of time as they evolved as a species of birds.