This is Why Every Scientist Accepts Evolution

[ErikJ]

[postulater]

1. Excellent explanation. Thanks.

If you ever get to Wyoming stop at the Wyoming Dinosaur Museum. Within the last decade or two a new trove of dinosaur bones was spotted in the hillside outside of town by some German collectors who came to the US looking for a specific sedimentary layer. When they came into Thermopolis they saw the hillside and knew they would find dinosaurs there. They ended up buying the entire ranch and bringing some fossil dinosaurs from Germany to show in the museum until the local bones were presentable.

http://www.wyodino.org/

[ErikJ]

3. My favorite part about the evolution of mammal ears.

I never realized that our tiny inner ear bone came from the biggest jaw bone of the reptiles. That looks like a great museum! I'll make sure to visit it the next time to Wyoming.

[Enthusiast]

5. This is an interesting discussion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_mammals

[SeattleVet]

4. We went to that facility in Thermopolis a few years ago.

After seeing the signs for many miles - "See the dinosaurs", etc. we thought it would be a total tourist trap, but it turned out to be a VERY nice legitimate research facility. When we went out to the dig site they told us that they had just moved the parking area - again - after fossils started poking up as the ground got eroded. This is a very rich fossil bed, and they will be at it for many years to come.

We were very impressed with their operation, and have recommended it to friends for the past several years. Definitely worth the trip!

[Spitfire of ATJ]

2. Got gills?

[ErikJ]

14. Now I get it.

I found this pic to show that the pharyngeal arches turn into gills in our distant relatives the fishes and the 1st pharyngeal arch in mammal embryos turns into the mastication bones and ear bones of mammals. Developmental embryology sounds like a tough subject to learn.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

15. Sure shows we're a local product.

[ErikJ]

18. Inactive genes do too.

I'll just let this question I found online explain it.

Creationists: Why Do Humans Still Have the Genes for Making Tails?

Humans don't have tails, yet if evolution were true and we descended from animals that had tails then we would still have the GENES for making tails, but they wouldn't be manifesting themselves, they would just sit there, and be inactive. Google image "baby with tail". Every so often a baby is born with a tail due to a genetic mistake. It's called an atavism. They have very similar tales to modern monkeys. Snakes still have the genes for making legs, chickens still have the genes for making teeth, whales still have the genes for making legs.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

20. What's funny is when you can get a creationist to evolve their position.

[Enthusiast]

6. Kicked and recommended.

I hope more DUers can watch this video. There is so much misunderstanding.

[Nitram]

7. Brilliant discussion

elegantly demonstrated

[MNBrewer]

8. Pet peeve re: identification keys vs. evolutionary relationships

Identification keys are artificial constructs while phylogenetic trees represent the inferred pattern of branching of evolutionary lineages.

ID keys may have superficial similarity to phylogenetic trees but it is only superficial.

No truly useful field manual for animals is going to have as its first branching points questions about whether an animal has true tissues or not, or whether it has 2 or 3 germ layers.

Regarding the plant ID manual example: plants with alternate leaf arrangement aren't necessarily more closely related to each other than those with whorled leaf arrangement. Plants with white flowers aren't necessarily more closely related to each other than to plants with other flower colors.

ALSO

Using the phylogenetic tree for the major groups of animals while just having made the claim that the previously presented data can be used to generate an unambiguous pattern of branching, yet showing an ambiguously branched tree. The trifurcation between the acoelomate, pseudocoelomate and coelomate lineages.

[postulater]

10. Good point. It's been over 30 years since my comparative anatomy class

and evolution studies.

He probably could have presented that differently but I don't think it invalidated his overall point. Do you?

[MNBrewer]

12. No. My points are picky ones

They don't help him in making his point though.

[postulater]

16. Picky points sometimes are the most important.

It's good to be able to make them.

Thanks for pointing it out to me. (Sharpens the brain, you know.)

[MNBrewer]

17. I noticed other graphics that didn't quite match what was being said

It just seemed really sloppy.

[ErikJ]

21. He warns against using similarities alone at 3:20

And there are hundreds of branches so you would never start with the lowest branches like whether they have true tissues or not. As far as sloppy, I noticed he mis-timed his narrative with graphics a bit when he was talking about leg similarities at about 3:50.
This was followed by his point about the fossil gradation from jaw bone of reptiles to ear bone of mammals using this graphic which was very interesting.

[Eljo_Don]

9. Evolution or creation.

Those people that think their god is a magician will never buy you explanation. Their god says let it be, and it is created.

[postulater]

11. Isn't that sad?

Their god also gave them a mind to reason with that allows them to manipulate their environment in a way that can help or harm themselves or others.

Choosing to refuse the power over their own actions by claiming "god's will" is a total cop-out which allows them to do anything they want and not have to accept responsibility for it.

They miss out on the joy of recognizing unintended consequences of past choices and using their minds to solve a problem that enhances the future of their children.

Education is the key that at least allows exposure to the power of the mind.

[JBoy]

13. That would be the same god that manipulates "evidence"

Like how he planted all the fossils 6000 years ago, and made light look like it's coming from distant stars by setting it in motion toward earth just 6000 light years away.

PFM is the swiss army knife of explanations. It's why everyone gets an A in science at Bob Jones University.

[postulater]

19. Yeah, god gives people a brain that thinks.

God says "I made you in my likeness. Buuuut, not really. See, I can think but I won't let you think. That would make me unable to control you and I need you to stay subservient."

Not my idea of a nice god.