Gradualism in Evolution (was Categories ...) (Agnosticism)

by David Turell , Friday, July 23, 2010, 14:15 (5236 days ago) @ dhw

A new organ is a heart, a liver, a kidney, an eye, a penis. And no matter how rudimentary the innovation itself may be, even through exaptation or gene duplication, (a) it is still complex, (b) it still has to work, and (c) you still have to account for the original organ. 
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> "For this reason Darwinism has concentrated on the evolutionary development of existing organs." 
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> The above quote is taken from 
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> [link=http://]http://creation.com/images/pdfs/tj/j19_2/j19_2_76-82.pdf[/link].-An absolutely brilliant article. It proves to me that unless a person is well-read in biology or has had deep biologic training, the objections we biologists have to Darwin are totally misunderstood as fairy tales. Take the circulatory system: the evolutionary tree shows simple spaces with fluid in say, the lobster, circulation by muscle movement stirring the liquid. Then pulsing tubes, one-chambered, two-chambered, three-chambered, and finally a four-chambered heart in dogs and us as examples. As an example of complexity, a four-chamber heart requires an electrical system to allow for proper temporal pumping in one direction! By chance mutation!? The valve system shows each type of valve is perfectly designed for its function, especially for the low pressure right side and the high pressure left side. Transitional forms from space to tube to four chambers, non-existent! 
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> Still on the subject of complexity you wrote that "a nerve is simply a piece of tissue that transmits a message in some form along its length." Why SIMPLY? If you think nerves are "simple", have a look at 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerve
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> Here is a sample: "Each nerve is a cordlike structure that contains many axons. These axons are often referred to as "fibres". Within a nerve, each axon is surrounded by a layer of connective tissue called the endoneurium. The axons are bundled together into groups called fascicles, and each fascicle is wrapped in a layer of connective tissue called the perineurium. Finally, the entire nerve is wrapped in a layer of connective tissue called the epineurium." Simple?
> What I do not understand is why Darwin insisted that there were no "jumps in Nature", or that any jumps would invalidate the theory that we are all descended from one or a few forms via a process of natural selection.-Easy answer. Darwin did not know any better. He was using animal breeders as examples, and they made tiny changes in their attempts. Research has obviously refuted this aspect of Darwin's thinking. Evolution is an obvious event. Darwin's proposed mechanism is wrong.