“Yes, alleles can change their frquency over time by this method.
Mutations do occur and selection is a real phenomenon. But this kind of
change is not evolution in my book, because, first of all, it’s an
oscillatory effect, changing first in one direction and then back in
another direction. This is not a path that leads to new processes,
structures and adaptations. This was clearly demonstrated by Peter and
Rosemary Grant with the Galapagos finches. If you want to call this
evolution, fine, but then you cannot use it to explain the appearance of
complex processes, structures and adaptations. And you cannot
demonstrate that these trivial effects have anywhere near the creative
proclivities assigned to them by Darwin and his ilk.”

“Of course, then we have the problem of where the advantages came from
in the first place. In the Galapagos finches, we’re talking about beaks.
I can see how the population of finches can have some longer beaks, and
some shorter beaks. Under certain conditions, those with longer beaks
might have an advantage and do better with feeding, and that kind of
beak might predominate over time. I certainly don’t deny this. But there
are two problems here. The first is that this is an oscillatory
phenomenon, in that when the climate changes back, the beak types change
again also. Does evolution reverse itself? No, these are simple
oscillations of gene frequency. Same with the pepper moths. When
conditions changed back, so did the lighter moths.
The second problem is that while these kinds of fluctuations in beak
length can be explained by natural selection, it’s much harder to
explain the evolution of an entire structure or process. Darwinists
would have us believe that structures such as the flower evolved by the
accumulation of small beneficial mutations over a long period of time.
Likewise with the biochemical process that allows us to see. If natural
selection works only on pre-existing structures and processes, we must
still answer the question of where these processes came from in the
first place.
My opinion is that while mutation and natural selection do occur,
these are trivial effects that have no power to create complex
structures and processes.”

Thanks.

After listening to that wonderful talk today, I felt invigorated and inspired. Once in a while I attend a seminar that reminds me why I love science, today’s was definitely one of them. I’m sure the Grants are not done with the finches, and I cannot wait to read their future findings.

Nadya

PS: I forgot to tell you today that the quote you used in Microcosm, has made me the laugh of every gathering…I will never live it down, but I wouldn’t want to!