God forced into smaller gap

[WaldoMcFroog]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7339508.st m

Gosh, I didn't think there were any transistional fossils (apart from the quite substantial numbers of 'em that conveniently get glossed over by Creationists whenever the subject comes up), but it appears that there are.

How strange. Obviously, this can't actually be a tranistional fossil as it would rather 8ugger the notion of a God-driven creation.

Could the anti-evolutionists explain what we're actually seeing here, before I go mad and start believing in theories with evidence for 'em?

[Octavius]

Just goes to show that all the original creatures (great and small) He made on day 6 have taken years and years to evolve in compatibility with the climate we see today.

The climate and environment must have been very different in those early days.

[Theland1]

The fossilised boots found nearby probably indicate a species with delicate feet, and a large brain capable of designing and manufacturing prehistoric trainers.

Just as an aside, does this indicate anywhere in the evolutionary chain, a situation where genetic information is added or is it another example of genetic information being lost?
Honestly, just curious.

[WaldoMcFroog]

It's likely to be neither.

Just because a snake doesn't have legs, it doesn't mean it's lost the genetic code for legs, merely that it's not switched on.

We'd need to be able to see the DNA of this particular species to know for sure, but certainly modern snakes retain the code and indeed from time to time, you get odd-ball snakes born with legs.

[China Doll]

You can get those newts that look like snakes this country too. If I could remember the name of them that would be useful... is that another example of something in the DNA that's switched off or on?

[Theland1]

That switching business just adds to my confusion.
But, was my question sensible? I did try.

[WaldoMcFroog]

It's a fair question... ...to a point.

Creationists often state that information cannot be added through natural selection. If it were true, it would certainly be a problem for evolution.

You'll recall the huge bibliography I posted a few weeks ago, of articles that explain precisely how information can be added and documented examples of it happening in a lab..?

As for switching, genes are switched on and off all the time. For example, the on set of puberty is controlled by a gene being switched on. However, 80-90% of all our DNA doesn't do anything - it's switched off, doesn't encode proteins or it's just meaningless. If you've got a working sequence of DNA but which is switched off, all it takes to switch it on, is the right mutation.

Slow worms are limbless lizards, China. Maybe that's what you're thinking of?

[China Doll]

That would be exactly what I'm thinking of, cheers Waldo.

[jno]

during the Scopes 'monkey trial', Darrow asked Bryan - who claimed the Bible was literal truth - if he really believed God condemned the snake in Eden to go on his belly forever, and if so how the snake got around before that. Bryan couldn't answer. But this story tends, does it not, to show Bryan was right: the snake walked.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Ha!

Though I don't imagine Bryan would accept his almighty and highly angry God would gradually remove the snakes' legs over an extended period of time via evolution! ;-)

[Octavius]

I tried to do some research on snakes with legs, but quite frankly it bought me out in cold sweats and feelings of dizziness and nausea. So I stopped that.

Who is to say that this fossil is not a defective reptile? One of, one of a kind? Imagine the scientific foray if we dug up something like this��

http://www.missfidget.com/wp-content/uploads/2 007/08/7leglamb.jpg

[WaldoMcFroog]

It's possible, of course, but not likely - simply because such things as that lamb are incredibly rare. Given that fossilisation is rare of itself, the chances of a given example not being typical of its species is low. But it is possible.

However, the point remains that the snake would have to have the correct gene sequences for legs and we have plenty of examples of snakes with vestigial legs today. We also can look at the DNA sequence and understand why snakes don't have front legs - the whole sequence that encodes for shoulders (necessary for arms, obviously) is totally missing in snakes. And the fact that snakes have pelvic regions is also evidence that they once had legs.

If they find any more similar fossils, that would obviously support the idea still further.

[carrust]

I was once lumbered with a born again Christian on a contract a couple of years ago. And as BAC's do he droned on & on & on about religion. Regretfully I rose to the bait & I started arguing with him.Out came the usual drivel about there only being one God etc etc.When I asked him to explain evolution & the presence of fossils he said."God put them there". Arrrggghh!

[keyplus90]

Here is another lost fossil found, Evolution is becoming fact and not a theory any more.

http://pregnantmen.net/

[WaldoMcFroog]

Did someone speak?