Science vs. Religion: (Chapter 4) (Humans)

by David Turell , Thursday, July 28, 2011, 03:08 (4867 days ago) @ xeno6696

First,
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> This isn't the definition I use (or have used) for natural selection. The definition I use is the one I was taught and used in the laboratory; "Natural Selection is the process by which an organism undergoes environmental pressure, and responds to that pressure in its genotype."
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> An extension: "Evolution is the frequency of change to Alleles from generation to generation." (Allele is the $10 word for "gene.")
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> dhw, David, (and now you) take issue with me on this, but I will stick to the definitions and processes that are used by professional scientists.-Matt: You will have to accept new definitions. I haven't read the book as yet but I have plucked out some quotes re NS from James Shapiro's book:-"The capacity of living organisms to alter their own heredity is undeniable. Our current ideas about evolution have to incorporate this basic fact."..."Genome sequencing has confirmed major roles played by'natural genetic engineering' in the course of evolutionary change."...Natural genetic engineering represents the ability of living cells to manipulate and restructure the DNA molecules that make up their genomes." (pg1-2)-
pg 144: "The role of selection is to eliminate evolutionary novelties that prove to be non-fuctional and interfere with adaptive needs. SELECTION ACTS AS A PURIFYING BUT NOT A CREATIVE FORCE." (my CAPS)- NS is active only at the very end of the whole process. I was never taught your definintion when I was back in college biology. It was always accepted as a process that passively accepted what was presented to it and then competition among species decided the outcome of who survived. That competition was the only active part of selection.