Evolution and humans: Neanderthal lungs larger (Evolution)

by David Turell , Sunday, November 04, 2018, 19:09 (2209 days ago) @ dhw

DAVID: I'm not reluctant, just surprised that you try to talk around the problem of the development of the human birth canal by discussing Neanderthal lungs. You know, full well, I think God guides evolution in all spheres, and had several experimental human forms at the same time in evolution.

dhw:I have responded directly to the problem of the birth canal on the thread called “birth canal”. It was you who raised the subject of Neanderthal lungs – look at the heading of this thread! – and so I asked you a simple question which for some reason you refused to answer. But I take it now that you do believe your God specially designed the big lungs since he “guides” evolution in ALL spheres, so I asked why he did that if his prime purpose was to create the brain and body of Homo sapiens. Thank you for your answer: your God was apparently experimenting. This clearly means that he didn’t know what he wanted, or he didn’t know how to get what he wanted. We have discussed it before, but I’m happy to re-open this field of speculation. See below.

I didn't raise the question of Neanderthal lungs to confuse you: I was presenting a new finding about Neanderthal evolution as I viewed the literature, as my job to support this website, which I take seriously. As for God knowing what He wants, you've forgotten that God used evolution to produce all the results we see. If God is so powerful that He could make a universe uniquely suited for life and then start life, it might seem He could have just produced H. sapiens right off the bat, but He didn't. He chose to evolve organisms and we are stuck with that observation, and have no way of questioning His motives in that choice, although you love to try and find human reasoning in Him.

dhw: I am making an obvious attempt to get the answer to a puzzle. Please tell us why, if your God’s prime purpose was to produce the amazing body and brain of Homo sapiens, you think he “started the evolution” of all the other types of human.

DAVID: As above God may have been trying out different forms of Homo species. That is what the evidence suggests. I can't read God's mind.

dhw; I agree that your view of God (if he exists) as an experimenter who either doesn’t know what he wants, or does know but can’t work out how to get it, is a logical deduction. But it is equally logical to suggest that your God (if he exists), does know what he wants and does know how to get it, and what he wants is the ever changing spectacle of different life forms, as suggested by the whole history of evolution.

Ah, back to the obvious requirement for diversity so a balance of nature can support ongoing life. I agree that your point does explain why God used diversity evolved from evolution.

DAVID (re spiders’ webs): You've just admitted econiches are necessary. They are a requirement of maintenance of life. The diversity of forms create the niches. We don't disagree. Each niche requires a different web. So?

dhw: We agree that every form of life requires an econiche, but as conditions change, so the econiche changes, some forms die out and others flourish. “Balance of nature” therefore does not explain why your God had to design 50,000 spider webs.

DAVID: It is explained by 50,000 econiches.

dhw: Ah well, we now have your God specially preprogramming or dabbling every single species, lifestyle and natural wonder, including 50,000 different webs for 50,000 different econiches. As you have agreed, this has nothing to do with your belief that his purpose was to produce the brain and body of Homo sapiens, so what do you think was his purpose in specially designing 50,000 different webs for 50,000 different econiches?

Same old answer which you surely expect: reqired diverse balance of nature to support the energy needs of continuing life.