Convoluted human evolution; Lucy had neighbors (Introduction)

by dhw, Tuesday, June 07, 2016, 13:29 (3092 days ago) @ David Turell

David's comment: The shotgun appearance of several hominid forms gives support to my contention that humans were the endpoint of God's guidance of evolution.-An astonishing conclusion. Homo sapiens is the endpoint - up to now - of a particular line of evolutionary development (all other existing species are also endpoints up to now), so how does the variety of antecedents indicate God's guidance? If he exists, was he incapable of guiding evolution directly to homo sapiens? The evolution of different forms gives clear support to the contention that organisms work out their own solutions in their own ways, and natural selection decides which of them will survive. No “guidance” or “alien hand” (Talbott) is necessary. Of course that does not preclude the possibility that your God designed the intelligence that enables organisms to work out their own solutions.