Evolution and Time

dmac2020
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I'm sorry if this is mentioned in someone else's post, I don't have time to read them all, but I'd like to direct you to the work of Dr. Phil Gingerich. He's the world's foremost authority on the evolution of whales, and I saw him give a presentation titled, "How fast is evolution?"

While you certainly can't have a solid answer for such a question in all cases (because of infinite possibilities for environmental changes for a living organism, and the possibility of the organism dying accidentally or in a fluke), it apprears as though evolution occurs at a maximum of 0.1 of a standard deviation per generation.

I know that sounds a bit odd to put it that way, so I'll have to ask you to check out Gingerich's work yourself as I can't write a novels worth on the post to explain it here.
 
Ophiolite said:
However,Well, it can't account for why England will lose the semi-final of the world cup on penalties, but apart from that what did you have in mind?
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Probably the fact that it doesn´t explain how first lifeforms got around.
But should it explain that? Was that even evolution? Evolution of lifeless matter? Did Darwin ever tried to explain that?
 
Naat said:
Maybe this will help on that
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from the link:
Frederic Cuvier and several of the older metaphysicians have compared instinct with habit. This comparison gives, I think, an accurate notion of the frame of mind under which an instinctive action is performed, but not necessarily of its origin.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/darwin/origin/oos8_1.htm

i dare say instincts are not habits
habit is a learned behaviour.

Habits are different than instincts because they are obviously learned.
http://www.marriagebuilders.com/graphic/mbi3250_habits.html
 
leopold99 said:
instincts for one
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Instincts are a way to conform to environment, thus giving necessary advatage over others. Creatures with that instinct are more likely to mate etc.
Or is the question about something else?
 
leopold99 said:
it was in reply to ophiolites question
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God gene? I don´t know any good evidence supporting the God gene in humans.
As I undertand, it became popular when genes became popular. Seems like a atheists try to kill God, demystify it.
If it exist, it´s easy to explain the advatage of it. Religion brought people together. Important cornerstone of society one may say...
 
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leopold99 said:
instincts for one
and unless it has been refuted the apparent god gene for another
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Instincts are thoroughly explained by evolution, since they enhance the probability of survival by ensuring certain forms of favourable behaviour in certain circumstances.
The God gene is not a theory or hypothesis, but a sensational conjecture. As such it is irrelevant to the discussion.
 
Ophiolite said:
Instincts are thoroughly explained by evolution,
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it seems to me that if evolution actually happens the there would be no need for instincts. furthermore instincts would be "bred out"
 
Then that is just you who has a problem with instincts and evolution.

Why couldn't instincts evolve? They are merely hardwired patterns.
 
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