Revisiting convergence: a new view (Introduction)

by dhw, Friday, September 15, 2017, 13:38 (2625 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: Real convergence does occur but why are there 'one-offs'?
http://nautil.us/issue/52/the-hive/why-hasnt-evolution-made-another-platypus?utm_source...

DAVID’s comment: The author makes an interesting point. Convergence exists, but it is not just a response to environmental challenges, and many look-alikes are not convergent. The process of evolution is very inventive as this illustrates.

It’s amazing how words take on a life and identity of their own. It’s not evolution or convergence that invents different solutions – it’s organisms (unless you think your God preprogrammes or dabbles each and every one). I just can’t see the problem, I’m afraid, other than the author’s difficulty in deciding what does and doesn’t constitute convergence. “One-offs” are just that. Some organisms think differently. Some organisms think alike. But each one copes with its environment in its own way, and so there are lots of variations even where there is convergence, but also where there is non-convergence among look-alikes. I can’t see any mystery once one accepts common descent and the fact that change comes from organisms themselves, and they are all individuals. (Of course that idea does not in any way exclude your God, who would have given them the intelligence to evolve in their own way.)