

An artist's rendition of Haplocheirus sollers  (Source: Portia Sloan)









The new work was reported in the journal Science.


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Seriously now.
By MrHanson on 2/1/2010 12:03:49 PM , Rating: 0
So the convergent evolution fairy strikes again with simple flick of her mutation wand! Seriously, the convergent evolution explanation seems more and more like a rescue plan for the theory. A simple explanation for similarities that don't fit the supposed evolutionary ancestory. Yet similarities are used to prove evolution between supposed evolutionary ancestors. The fossil record and current living organisms are full of 'convergent evolution explanations' even down to the molecular level! (See Convergent sequence evolution between echolocating bats and dolphins, Current Biology). After reading articles like this, the conclusion that one comes up with is that stuff appens. It evolved you IDiot! This is story telling not science. But yet the darwin sheep still bow down to the materialist alter. Remember evolution has no forsite, direction or purpose. It is all the result of the preservation of accidental mutations through natural selection. It takes faith.

RE: Seriously now.
By wgbutler on 2/1/2010 1:27:55 PM , Rating: 1
I agree with your assessment. It's amazing how all of the assumptions from the theory of macro-evolution need to be reconsidered every time someone discovers a new fossil. What a house of cards that whole viewpoint is built upon!

For a long time the evos beat us over the head with the tetrapod fossils as transitional forms, UNTIL we recently discovered a tetrapod showing up millions of years earlier than anyone thought, blowing the whole "transitional form" thing out of the water (no pun intended!).

See this link for more info:

And I agree with you on the convergent evolution explanation. It's a catch all for anything that doesn't match up with their predictions. It's kind of like global warming, if the Earth gets hotter its because of global warming, but if the Earth gets cooler its also because of global warming. Likewise if the fossils meet our predictions its because of evolution, but if they don't meet our predictions its because of convergent evolution, so evolution wins out either way!

Clever, and laughable. Hundreds of years from now people will look back on this era of history and be amazed that people ever thought of things like this.

RE: Seriously now.
By Thats Mr Gopher to you on 2/1/2010 3:12:02 PM , Rating: 2
It's a catch all for anything...

As opposed to the old reliable fall back to the magic man in the sky.

Having to make changes to the 'map of evolution' as new evidence is found in no way invalidates the theory. As we collect more fossils and evidence we get a better idea of the theory and can fill in the gaps, making amendments where necessary.

That's how science works. Science has the ability to correct itself when wrong and update theories.

Religious beliefs that rely on literal readings of thousands of years old texts have no room for new thinking regardless of evidence, which is why arguing with people like you is pointless so I'm going to stop... now... I was only using this as a means of procrastination anyway...

RE: Seriously now.
By gamerk2 on 2/1/2010 4:00:12 PM , Rating: 2
Agreed. Science changes known on observable facts. In this case, with so many family lines missing, a single change can effect the entire geneologly of an entire species. All this find does is prove that simmilar traits can develop outside of a single family at any one point in time, meaning evoltion isn't as stright as some scientists thought.

In regards to the GW point above, localized cooling in the Western Hemisphere was a predicted outcome of climate change to begin with (due to change in weather patterns, specifically the air currents that cycle hot air father to the east). Nevermind that the entire planet of Venus (which is hotter then mercury due to GW run amok) is a perfect example of the effects CO2 can have.

RE: Seriously now.
By Fritzr on 2/2/2010 4:35:56 AM , Rating: 2
On a similar note. Read Genesis. Adam and Eve had three children. 1 died, the other 2 traveled to a neighboring kingdom and returned with wives. Adam and Eve then had additional children.

Assume the Bible is the literal unassailable truth. Adam and Eve are the only humans on Earth until their children are born. At the time their children travel to a neighboring kingdom and return with wives there are only 4 people alive on Earth. What species populated the neighboring kingdoms? How is it that this other species would be willing to marry their daughters off to this new species that had been spontaneously created somewhere just outside their borders?

Be careful when making assumptions :P

