Evolution and humans: our feet are special (Evolution)

by David Turell , Wednesday, October 10, 2018, 18:49 (2234 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID’s comment: There is no doubt in my mind humans were especially designed. we can add feet to the big brain and other differences.

dhw: The article makes it clear that different pre-sapiens adapted in their different ways to bipedalism. Why would your God have specially designed the different foot variations if, as you believe so fervently, his purpose was to design the brain of Homo sapiens? The fact that dancers’ feet change with training should be enough to tell you that feet change according to use, not according to your God doing special designs.

DAVID: You have to have fully designed feet for bipedalism before those feet adapt for shoes and dancing. Just as pointed out to you yesterday: 'fully designed organs have to appear before natural selection can act on them" (paraphrased). (Sunday, October 07, 2018, 20:27)

dhw: I am not disputing that organs and organisms must exist before natural selection works on them. I am disputing the argument that your God designed different variations of bipedal feet. It is clear that use is what determines change. Different hominins walked in different ways, and so there were differences in their feet. The article itself proposes the same process: “These cases illustrate a diversity in foot evolution and locomotion, which with time may offer greater contextual clues about the lives of these groups.” The assumption is that the way of life causes the diversity – organs responding to use, not God intervening in anticipation of use. And I would apply this principle to bipedalism itself (along with other changes that had to accompany it) just as I would apply it to whales' fins.

Bipedalism requires just one general way of walking or running. Hominins were able to run down prey who literally became to hot to continue. They can't sweat and we can. Remember the article I found has at its basis a Darwinist view of evolution. Part of creating humans had to do with changing many parts. My bold above illustrates our complete gulf of disagreement. Your view: a raparian animal since water is near and waded in it will grow fins by magic. Yes, magical thought.