Evolution: Wallaby placental activity (Introduction)

by dhw, Wednesday, September 20, 2017, 13:41 (2620 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID's comment: These are transitional forms of mammals, but the transitions are giant gaps in physiology again unsupportive of the gradualism proposed by Darwin.

dhw: Just to clarify: transitions are transitions, thus providing evidence for evolution. Although Darwin thought gradualism was essential to his theory, many evolutionary scientists disagree with him and accept that there have been saltations.

DAVID: Unexplained saltations unless God is accepted. Darwin's only contribution is common descent after life began.

A huge contribution to our understanding of life’s history, since he was the one who made the theory known and acceptable to the world.

One can indeed explain saltations as being individually preprogrammed 3.8 billion years ago or dabbled by an unknown, hidden, sourceless power about which we know nothing. Or one can explain them as being due to an autonomous mechanism invented by an unknown, hidden, sourceless power about which we know nothing. Or one can explain them as being due to an autonomous mechanism that came into existence by sheer chance. All three explanations are so nebulous that one can only marvel at the faith of those who believe in one and reject the others.