Natures wonders: bees cooperate just as ants do (Introduction)

by David Turell , Friday, September 21, 2018, 20:54 (2253 days ago) @ Balance_Maintained

DAVID: Phenotype comparisons are not as important as gene studies of relationship. Phenotype is old school.

TONY: If what you are looking for is evidence of a universal programming language, and evidence that the same code is being reused across non-ancestoral species divides, then you have to look at both the phenotypical AND behavioral data, and compare the results to the genome.

DHW: This is followed by more discussion of the different factors to be considered, and by the usual snipes at Darwin. Nobody knows what caused speciation (we agree that this refers to organisms that cannot interbreed). Here are four theories:

1) David’s belief that it was either preprogrammed by his God 3.8 billion years ago, or his God dabbled (which would still allow for common descent, as he would have dabbled with existing organisms).
2) Tony’s belief that his God created each species separately.
3) Darwin’s belief that it came about through chance mutations and gradual refinements, always taking place in existing organisms (common descent).
4) Dhw’s hypothesis that it came about (always in existing organisms = common descent) through cellular intelligence – possibly invented by your God – responding to the needs and opportunities offered by ever changing environmental conditions both local and global.

dhw:There is no conclusive evidence for any of these theories, each of which throws up unanswerable questions. Dead end?

Tony: No matter which trail you follow, you always end up at a dead end, not that there are no more questions, but that the questions are unanswerable. All four options require faith. The only question is, what do you have faith in, and what gives you those "assured expectations of things not beheld"?

Basically the same answer I have written.