Claim CB925:
We do not see creatures in various stages of completion. In the past,
according to evolutionary theory, there were half-birds, half-dogs, etc.
We see nothing like that now.
Response:
- Evolution does not predict incomplete creatures. In fact if we ever
saw such a thing it would pretty much disprove evolution. In order
to survive, all creatures must be sufficiently adapted to their
environment; thus, they must be complete in some sense.
The basic false assumption here is twofold: first, that intermediates
are necessarily incomplete, and second that once variation beyond the
"type" is allowed, any and all variation is allowed (this latter is
typological or essentialist thinking).
- We see many creatures in transitional stages. These may be considered
incomplete in that they do not have all the same features and
abilities of similar or related creatures:
- Various gliding animals, such as the flying squirrel, which may be
on their way to becoming more batlike
- The euglena, which is halfway to plant
- Aquatic snakes
- Reptiles with a "third eye" that only gets infrared
- Various fish that can live out of water for long periods, use their
fins as legs, and breathe air
- The various jaw bones of Probainognathus that were in the process
of migrating toward the middle ear
- Various Eocene whales, which had hooved forelimbs and hindlimbs.
created 2003-6-10, modified 2003-9-3
