Biological complexity: protozoa sans mitochondria (Introduction)

by dhw, Thursday, May 19, 2016, 12:42 (3110 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: And yet the free-ranging “phenotype complexifier mechanism” is capable of inventing “increasingly complex structural changes”, which “in some cases will lead to strange lifestyles as a secondary effect”. So organisms are capable of creating the changes to their bodies, but not of creating the lifestyles that result from them? Does that make sense?
DAVID: Quoting me does not demonstrate that you fully understand my concept: IF organisms are given a 'complexifier mechanism' it will be under God's guidance controls. I've never changed from that position. Therefore they have it, but they don't really control it. -I asked you (under “algae”) to make a choice: did God guide all the complexifications or did organisms work them out autonomously apart from when he occasionally dabbled. Here is your reply: “I've agreed that God might have implanted a phenotype complexifier mechanism which operated on its own but under his watchful eye.” What does “on its own” mean, if not autonomously? And watching is not guiding. You knew what I was asking, but now you do NOT agree that such a mechanism acts on its own, and God does not merely watch, he guides and controls every innovation and natural wonder. Ugh,and there was me thinking we'd saved him all that work! Ugh,ugh, if I can't quote you on your views, who can I quote? Ugh, ugh, ugh, we are back to square one!-DAVID: As for lifestyles, I've given you examples of Giraffes with giant necks who graze and ignore trees. The necks allow acacia grazing, but it is not a required lifestyle as a result of the development, but it does allow an optional adaptation. It doesn't take much thought to: see tree, eat from tree, but it does require a detoxification process of the poisons. How did that develop, if the first attempts at nibbling induce death? My line of reasoning makes perfect sense if viewed from my propositions.-Re giraffes and whales, see “Weird animal forms”. I don't know why you have switched to detoxification, but once again if an innovation is to work, the whole organism must fit in with the novelty, i.e. all the cell communities must cooperate. No advantage from noshing the top of the tree if you end up lying dead at the bottom. But now once more we have your God controlling not only the long neck but also the detoxification process. I note that you also still have God preprogramming every solution to every problem faced by bacteria for the last 3.8 billion years (my post of 17 May at 12.03 under “algae”).