It works EXACTLY the same way. The evolution is not drastic if it took more than 50 milllion years. Theres no way one big brick can become the pyramid of Giza, but with time....*dramatic face*
Haha, I know where you are coming from. I guess most of us who are following this thread closely would have gathered that the probability of such occurence is very small, close to impossible, unless time = eterinty (that means to say a very very very very very very long time like 50 million years, anyway, anyone wants to buy my lovepedal eternity?). The probability of it is slim, thus I feel it is not possible.
I want to reply all the time, its fun. Unless you have evidence AGAINST the evolution of whales from land mammals, then "I don't think such a drastic change is possible" is not really a good answer
The "I dont think such a drastic change is possbile" is solely my opinion, and I have such an inclination towards this statement because I feel the probability of a drastic evolution over time (the drastic evolution here refers to successive evolution over a long time, not a single event) is so slim that I am uncomfortable with it. For me, I have explained that I am comfortable with my beliefs and they are good enough answers for me, what has it got to do with you? I may appear firm in what I said, but I have not forced the "I dont think such a drastic change is possbile" statement down anyone's throat, but you have persisted in convincing me otherwise? Why? Am I a such pushover?
lol they kinda forced their religion on me too by insisting evolution is untrue and creationism is right. How would you react to someone that said the holocaust never happened? I don't think by disproving creationism I'm behaving the same way like them by 'forcing my belief' unto them. I see myself as the historian to the conspiracy theorist, the geographer to flat-earther, the rational one to the superstitious one
I dont think any creationist here has tried to prove that creation is true, because like someone else said here earlier, they cannot even remotely prove the existence of their creator.At worst, they sound more like they are trying to prove that evolution is untrue, but not the latter half. Either case, I am sorry for your frustration, I hope I have not appear to force my beliefs on you.
If you feel offended by the "insisting evolution is untrue and creationism is right", then others may also feel offended when you repeatedly try to convince everyone that evolution is true and disprove religion. In this view, how are you different from those people you detest?
When you said "I see myself as the historian to the conspiracy theorist, the geographer to flat-earther, the rational one to the superstitious one", it shows that you are clearly in the first place biased. You have refered yourself as a "hero" and those who disagree as "villians", and this kinda suggest a narcissistic, egocentric and superiority complex in you. If you already have such a preconception about others and yourself, then I feel a discussion with you is redudant.
Of course, you are entitled to the opinion that you dont think that you are behaving like the same way as them. But frankly, this is not the same I feel about you, judging from the post above.
No scientist has ever claimed that evolution adds genes to the already existing DNA, like mammals evolving gills. thats why dolphins and whales have lungs not gills
You sure? Apparently, this textbook (which is sitting beside me) called "Biochemistiry", 6ed, by Jeremy M. Berg, John L Tymoczko, Lubert Stryer, page 783, the chapter 28 on DNA replication, repair and recombination, says that errors in DNA replication (especially during meiosis and in gametes) or damaged DNA can lead to genetic disorders and mutations, and they have the possibility of being passed from one generation to another. If you can think that, given 50 million years, land-dwelling mammals can evolve into whales, why not given another 50 million years, successive mutations can eventually (and incidentally) develop gills for whales?
*Here are the lists of errors that can add or minus genes from the genome of an organism:
-chromosomal translocation
-chromosomal insertion
-failure of chromosome segregation during telophase of meiosis II
-frameshift mutation due to point addition or deletion of nucleotides in polynucleotide chain.
-Damage to repair mechanism like nucleotide-excision repair
-with alternate splicing of mRNA, leading to rapid protein evolution, it is also possible for an organism to mutate even when the genome is untouched by defects and alterations.
Any of these mutations above can lead to evolution, when other factors such as selection pressure and what not come into the picture. So it will seem that evolution can happen quite easily. But most mutations are bad, and a "good" mutation is remote. "Good" mutation coupled with favourable selection pressure is even less likely. "Good" mutation coupled with favourable selection pressure, and then repeat itself several times over many many years, the probability is not very high, in my opinion.