Natures wonders: how plants became carnivores (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, February 17, 2017, 19:25 (2834 days ago) @ dhw

dhw: So do you think the carnivorous plants and the frogs tried something and God was happy with it, or they tried something and God had to step in to correct their do-it-yourself efforts to catch their prey?

DAVID: The insect catchers have a complex mechanism. I doubt it could develop stepwise, I think God helped.

dhw: I have not denied that the mechanisms are complex and I have not suggested “stepwise”. God “helped” is a little odd. Presumably it means these plants and frogs had a great idea but couldn’t quite pull it off, so God stepped in to show them, because without their special methods of catching prey, there would be no balance of nature to enable life to go on so that he could eventually dabble with the brains of pre-humans.

Remember each of these organisms are in their own micro-econiches of balance of nature. It is not one huge balance. I don't think the organisms could pull this off in several steps. They look like they need to be developed all at once, as a saltation. God helping would not be 'odd'.