Origin of Life (Pt2) (Introduction)

by George Jelliss , Crewe, Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 15:35 (5441 days ago) @ David Turell

Since DT mentions me in passing I thought I'd respond.-I've more or less given up following all the posts that DT makes that give links to work on biology and evolution, since they are mostly perfectly valid work-in-progress. Inevitably there are many alternative hypotheses put forward, and rival research teams enthuse over their own ideas. This is the way science is done these days. Eventually as more evidence is accumulated a clearer picture will emerge. -The so-called "Discovery Institute" of course seizes on anything it can find to claim as a case of "irreducible complexity" or evolutionary impossibility. In this case we have:
 
Quote: Although each species emits sound signals that resemble signals of other species, the animals never mistake the sounds for those of other species...Harmony between sounds and sound-receiving organs likewise presupposes the...requirement of simultaneous appearance, while excluding the possibility of gradual evolution.-This seems to me to be an exceedingly weak argument. Do they also apply it to birds? Do they apply it to humans and other apes? I would have thought the sounds that animals make could quite easily evolve gradually, and their ears likewise. If an animal is born with poor hearing it will obviously be more vulnerable to getting lost, and thus picked off by predators, leaving thjose with acute hearing to breed. Pretty basic natural selection.

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GPJ