Logic and evolution: doubting Darwin; (Introduction)

by David Turell , Monday, February 03, 2020, 20:34 (1543 days ago) @ David Turell

Darwin thinking approaches evolution in a backward fashion as shown in this article about the evolution of the vertebrate spine:

https://phys.org/news/2020-02-spines-mammalian-evolution.html

"New evidence suggests that regions (like the thorax and lower back) evolved long before new spinal functions, such as bending and twisting. The study points to the idea that the right selective pressures or animal behaviors combined with existing physical regions played a significant role in the evolution of their unique functions.

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"Modern mammals, for instance, have developed compartmentalized spinal regions that take on a number of diverse shapes and functions without affecting other spinal regions. This has allowed the animals to adapt to different ways of life, explained Jones.

"In previous research, the authors showed that extinct pre-mammalian land animals developed these small but distinct regions during evolution.

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It's long been thought that developing different spinal regions is one important step in evolving backbones with many functions, but Pierce and Jones show that this isn't enough. An evolutionary trigger was also required, in this case the evolution of a highly active lifestyle that put new demands on the backbone. (my bold)

Jones said, "We're trying to get at something that's quite a fundamental evolutionary question which is: How does a relatively simple structure evolve into a complex one that can do lots of different things? Is that determined by the limitations of development or natural selection related to the behavior of the animal?" (my bold)

"The researchers compared the spines of two animals essentially on opposite ends of the evolutionary and anatomical spectrum: cat, which has highly developed spinal regions, and lizard, which has a pretty uniform backbone. They looked at how each animal's spinal joints bent in different directions to measure how the form of the vertebrae reflects their function. They determined that while some spinal regions can function differently from one to the other, others do not; for example, the lizard's backbone comprised several distinct regions, but they all acted in the same way.

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"Their findings fit with observations that the group in which this functional diversity occurs—the cynodonts, which directly preceded mammals—have a number of mammalian features, including evidence they could breathe like a mammal. The researchers believe that these mammal-like features shifted the job of breathing away from the backbone and ribs to the newly evolved diaphragm muscle, releasing the spine from an ancient biomechanical constraint. This enabled the backbone to adapt to interesting new behaviors, such as grooming fur, and take on new functions.

Comment: This is exactly the backward thinking that dhw exhibits. Why did the cynodont diaphragm bother to appear? Advances like this in evolution are not required, just as the human brain was not required Note the first bold; how does an animal have the active lifestyle requiring a specialize backbone if that backbone dose not already exist? Trying to do the new activity does not cause the backbone to suddenly appear, especially because we have no evidence of gradualism which that thought implies. The second bold again raises the foolish specter of an active natural selection producing evolution.

Let's use humans as an example. 300,000+ years old and only recently we have invented activities like ballet, gymnastics, other ball games requiring throwing or other required agilities allowed by the 300,000 year old spine. No question, form first, use second. Our advanced brain invented those new activities. Darwinists are backward theorists. ID proponents are not.