Re: Neanderthal DNA

Bill Hamilton (hamilton@predator.cs.gmr.com)
Tue, 15 Jul 1997 09:18:44 -0400

At 3:36 PM -0700 7/14/97, Robert Wahl wrote:
>Couldn't we say that a bipedal hominid with interesting
>teeth (like Lucy) is sub human but we look to a phenotype called 'spiritual
>awareness' to indicate a human?

Is this a legitimate use of the term phenotype? Aren't phenotypic
differences supposed to be observable? I don't see that spiritual
awareness is directly observable. Glenn is trying to observe it indirectly
through evidence of behavioral characteristics (indirect observation of
behavior). This is a reasonable approach for believers, but the two levels
of indirection create lots of room for diasagreement with nonbelievers.

Bill Hamilton
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William E. Hamilton, Jr, Ph.D. | Staff Research Engineer
Chassis and Vehicle Systems | General Motors R&D Center | Warren, MI
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