Clarification regarding common ancestry (missing link).

SlinkyMike

SlinkyMike

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It seems to me that there is some confusion (that or deliberate obfuscation but let us not stray) amongst some of the peeps posting in the PD section regarding the idea of a common ancestor in evolutionary theory.

I am speaking now specifically about the common ancestor of humans and apes, often referred to as the 'missing link'.

What I would like to clarify is that evolutionary theory does not state that we are descended of apes, rather that we humans and apes share a common ancestor.

I know that this is not any more compatible with Genesis than merely stating we are descended of apes but it does bear clearing up as this part of evolutionary theory has been widely misrepresented.

Humans and apes are distant cousins if anything, they are certainly not direct descendants. Please get this right when discussing it because it is often used by detractors in order to imbue evolutionary theory with an air of silliness... Us? Descended of apes?? Surely you jest?

Get it right otherwise all you are doing is arguing against some mistaken concept that your own mind threw up... arguing against yourself in the vacuum of your own misunderstandings... raving like a loon in other words.

If you want to learn more on the topic, wiki has a great section on this, which includes a stunning rendering of the 'tree of life' which is a hierarchy built of completely decoded genomes and clearly shows the majestic order of the natural world.

On that point I'd like to add that although highly memorable to Sunday school kids, Genesis fails to truly purvey they awesome beauty, the unutterable wonder that is natural history.

Religion robs you not only of accountability unto yourself, of a logical, reasonable world view... but also of the ability to explore and understand the great majesty of life here on earth and (as I am certain we shall some day learn) in the cosmos.
 
SlinkyMike said:
It seems to me that there is some confusion (that or deliberate obfuscation but let us not stray) amongst some of the peeps posting in the PD section regarding the idea of a common ancestor in evolutionary theory.

I am speaking now specifically about the common ancestor of humans and apes, often referred to as the 'missing link'.

What I would like to clarify is that evolutionary theory does not state that we are descended of apes, rather that we humans and apes share a common ancestor.

I know that this is not any more compatible with Genesis than merely stating we are descended of apes but it does bear clearing up as this part of evolutionary theory has been widely misrepresented.

Humans and apes are distant cousins if anything, they are certainly not direct descendants. Please get this right when discussing it because it is often used by detractors in order to imbue evolutionary theory with an air of silliness... Us? Descended of apes?? Surely you jest?

Get it right otherwise all you are doing is arguing against some mistaken concept that your own mind threw up... arguing against yourself in the vacuum of your own misunderstandings... raving like a loon in other words.

If you want to learn more on the topic, wiki has a great section on this, which includes a stunning rendering of the 'tree of life' which is a hierarchy built of completely decoded genomes and clearly shows the majestic order of the natural world.

On that point I'd like to add that although highly memorable to Sunday school kids, Genesis fails to truly purvey they awesome beauty, the unutterable wonder that is natural history.

Religion robs you not only of accountability unto yourself, of a logical, reasonable world view... but also of the ability to explore and understand the great majesty of life here on earth and (as I am certain we shall some day learn) in the cosmos.
Click to expand...
So much preaching, so little science. What is it doing in this section? Discuss religion in PD.

In order to discuss evolution from the last universal common ancestor (or any common ancestor for that matter), try here:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...The-Last-Universal-Common-Ancestor&highlight=
 
SlinkyMike said:
Religion robs you not only of accountability unto yourself, of a logical, reasonable world view... but also of the ability to explore and understand the great majesty of life here on earth and (as I am certain we shall some day learn) in the cosmos.
Click to expand...

True.

But evolution, in my opinion is nothing more than a mere contagious brain fart. I don't consider myself related to a monkey in any way. Here I am, typing strings of sentences on a plastic slab. It's filled with buttons with symbols on it. No primate today, regardless of how intelligent it is, will ever be able to learn and apply what I am busy doing.

The human race is a unique species on this planet. If we are distant cousins to a monkey, then why aren't there other primates on this Earth that can speak a language and prepare a meal for its offspring?

My point is: As a cougar is to a lion, a hyena is to a wolf. You can't compare our furlessness and intellect to that of mere monkey.

Unless you live in South Africa :P /runs
 
Dicebat said:
True.

But evolution, in my opinion is nothing more than a mere contagious brain fart. I don't consider myself related to a monkey in any way. Here I am, typing strings of sentences on a plastic slab. It's filled with buttons with symbols on it. No primate today, regardless of how intelligent it is, will ever be able to learn and apply what I am busy doing.

The human race is a unique species on this planet. If we are distant cousins to a monkey, then why aren't there other primates on this Earth that can speak a language and prepare a meal for its offspring?

My point is: As a cougar is to a lion, a hyena is to a wolf. You can't compare our furlessness and intellect to that of mere monkey.

Unless you live in South Africa :P /runs
Click to expand...

face-palm.jpg
 
Dicebat said:
True.

But evolution, in my opinion is nothing more than a mere contagious brain fart. I don't consider myself related to a monkey in any way. Here I am, typing strings of sentences on a plastic slab. It's filled with buttons with symbols on it. No primate today, regardless of how intelligent it is, will ever be able to learn and apply what I am busy doing.

The human race is a unique species on this planet. If we are distant cousins to a monkey, then why aren't there other primates on this Earth that can speak a language and prepare a meal for its offspring?
Click to expand...

Actually there were and homo sapiens, the charming primates they are, killed them off.
 
SlinkyMike said:
It seems to me that there is some confusion (that or deliberate obfuscation but let us not stray) amongst some of the peeps posting in the PD section regarding the idea of a common ancestor in evolutionary theory.

I am speaking now specifically about the common ancestor of humans and apes, often referred to as the 'missing link'.

What I would like to clarify is that evolutionary theory does not state that we are descended of apes, rather that we humans and apes share a common ancestor.

I know that this is not any more compatible with Genesis than merely stating we are descended of apes but it does bear clearing up as this part of evolutionary theory has been widely misrepresented.
Click to expand...
You're wasting your time. They've been told about it hundreds of times before, but it somehow seems to float over their heads.
 
Dicebat said:
But evolution, in my opinion is nothing more than a mere contagious brain fart. I don't consider myself related to a monkey in any way. Here I am, typing strings of sentences on a plastic slab. It's filled with buttons with symbols on it. No primate today, regardless of how intelligent it is, will ever be able to learn and apply what I am busy doing.
Click to expand...

That you can do all these things is evidence of evolution at work. If that little nugget doesn't give you a brain fart, then I don't know what will

Dicebat said:
The human race is a unique species on this planet. If we are distant cousins to a monkey, then why aren't there other primates on this Earth that can speak a language and prepare a meal for its offspring?
Click to expand...

Every species is unique. Another brain fart? Speaking is not the only form of communication. Some animal regurgitate food for their young to digest easily, food preparation?
 
Phronesis said:
So much preaching, so little science. What is it doing in this section? Discuss religion in PD.

In order to discuss evolution from the last universal common ancestor (or any common ancestor for that matter), try here:
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...The-Last-Universal-Common-Ancestor&highlight=
Click to expand...

rwenzori said:
Agreed. And how many of your pseudo-scientific religious ID threads did we have to ask to be moved to PD? Quite a few, IIRC. Hmmmmmm....
Click to expand...

I did think it over before posting in this section and decided natural science would be more suitable to a post regarding misunderstandings of the theory of evolution.
 
SlinkyMike said:
I did think it over before posting in this section and decided natural science would be more suitable to a post regarding misunderstandings of the theory of evolution.
Click to expand...

'Tis true, its in the right section. This is not a discussion about whether evolution exists or not. The argument is that if evolution exists (in the scientific sense) then homo sapiens are not direct descendants of ape. Whether you believe in evolution of not is irrelevant in this instance.
 
porn$tar said:
That you can do all these things is evidence of evolution at work. If that little nugget doesn't give you a brain fart, then I don't know what will

Every species is unique. Another brain fart? Speaking is not the only form of communication. Some animal regurgitate food for their young to digest easily, food preparation?
Click to expand...

Just out of interest, does Dicebat not realise that Neanderthals could speak a language (albeit a primitive one) and prepare meals for their offspring? The reason they no longer exist is that homo sapiens, an inherently aggressive species, had to rid themselves of competition to become the dominant off shoot of the common ancestor Homo heidelbergensis. As such modern man is not unique in his evolution, merely lucky.
 
phaktza said:
Just out of interest, does Dicebat not realise that Neanderthals could speak a language (albeit a primitive one) and prepare meals for their offspring? The reason they no longer exist is that homo sapiens, an inherently aggressive species, had to rid themselves of competition to become the dominant off shoot of the common ancestor Homo heidelbergensis. As such modern man is not unique in his evolution, merely lucky.
Click to expand...

That... and we still face our toughest evolutionary foe: the influenza virus.
 
SlinkyMike said:
That... and we still face our toughest evolutionary foe: the influenza virus.
Click to expand...

Germs! Eeeew! Viruses in general it seems, though there is no cure for the common cold or more deadly flu. It's like scorpions and spiders, the smaller it is the more likely it is to kill you and you genetic prodigy in one foul swoop.
 
Well modern humans was just lucky in the fact that they were able to "out adapt" Neanderthal.
Life is about luck.
 
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