dubois@uwmacc.UUCP (Paul DuBois) (04/25/85)
> [Keith Doyle] > Again, evolution does not state the METHOD, (mutation or otherwise) that > causes speciation. Evolution postulates that it DOES occur, because of > observed evidence, not particularly HOW. All this concentration on > mutation is so far away from creationist evidence it's not funny anymore. > Actually this is all just as good evidence that chucko the clown created > the universe last week. This is utterly unsound. You're glossing over the distinction between what more careful writers call "the fact of evolution" vs. "the theory of evolution". The theory DOES (or ought to) make some statements about mechanism. If not, then what you end up with is (must I say it again?) description, not mechanism. And if one doesn't know the mechanism, how does one know the description is the correct one? -- | Paul DuBois {allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!dubois --+-- | "Danger signs, a creeping independence" |
keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) (04/30/85)
[..............] >This is utterly unsound. You're glossing over the distinction between >what more careful writers call "the fact of evolution" vs. "the theory >of evolution". > >The theory DOES (or ought to) make some statements about mechanism. If >not, then what you end up with is (must I say it again?) description, >not mechanism. And if one doesn't know the mechanism, how does one >know the description is the correct one? > | >Paul DuBois {allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!dubois --+-- > | Evolutionary theories DO make statements about the mechanism of evolution. There are scads of evolutionary theories. Am I to assume then that we are discussing a THEORY of evolution and not the FACT of evolution? If so, which theory? Note that many scientists differ on many issues relating to how evolution occured (punctuated equilibrium for one). Just what ARE we discussing here? Keith Doyle # {ucbvax,ihnp4,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!keithd