Re: [asa] (macroevolution) (was: The term Darwinism)

On Wed, Jul 22, 2009 at 10:53 AM, Dehler, Bernie<bernie.dehler@intel.com> wrote:
> Dr. Campbell said:
> " There's no magic, hard and fast line, between purportedly "macro"
> and "micro" events.  However, I would note that we may be talking at cross purposes here.
> Your statement could be taken in two ways
> a) I personally want more evidence.
> b) Evolution is wrong because we don't have that evidence.
> b is unreasonable because we do not have the means to produce such evidence."
>
> Specifically this sentence:
> " b is unreasonable because we do not have the means to produce such evidence "
>
> I disagree.  I think the DNA evidence for human evolution (pseudogenes and fused chromosme 2) is all that is needed to demonstrate macroevolution (apelike creature to human).  Dr. Campbell- you don't think this evidence demonstrates, conclusively, that macroevolution happened?<

Unless someone gives a clear, unambiguous definition of what he means
by macroevolution and then sticks with it, I can't say if
macroevolution happened. "Macroevolution" is used flexibly in many
ways, especially as a way for antievolutionists to dismiss any
evidence of evolution conceded as valid. Some young earthers allow
evolution within a family as a way to decrease crowding on the ark.
Many classifications would put humans and apes in the same family, so
one could bill ape to human as microevolution. However, the
human-animal link is the real point of objection to evolution in most
cases of objection to evolution.

I think that the DNA evidence for evolution of humans from apes is
extremely persuasive. I use that wording merely to highlight the fact
that science is always subject to new discoveries rather than to
suggest that there is any more doubt about it than about, e.g.,
gravity or the shape of the earth.

"Such evidence" was intended to refer specifically to the request for
full details of every single genetic change in exact sequence along
with every single selective pressure and the exact phenotypic effect
involved in any "macroevolutionary" change.

-- 
Dr. David Campbell
425 Scientific Collections
University of Alabama
"I think of my happy condition, surrounded by acres of clams"
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