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posted 22. February 2004 22:47
Is Evolution Finished?*
by John A. Davison
Abstract: Few scientists question the reality of evolution. I assume, with the majority, that it has occurred. What else can be said concerning this most mysterious of all biological processes? There is little more of which one can be certain. No one knows how, or how many times, life has originated. The more we learn about the complexity of even the simplest living systems, the less likely becomes the probability that life originated by chance. You may notice that the last three sentences are presented in the past tense. As evolutionists we can be certain that life did originate in the distant past. We can also be certain that evolution occurred in the past. But what can we say about the present? Can we be certain that evolution is in progress today? In this essay I will present evidence that evolution is no longer in progress. Before I do, I will define what I mean by evolution so there will be no ambiguity with respect to my claims. I will use the term evolution to indicate macroevolution, by which I mean the appearance of new diploid species of plants or animals. I accept the physiological definition of species. Two forms that can produce a viable hybrid will be considered separate species if that hybrid proves to be sterile. This is the hard definition proposed by Dobzhansky and will suffice for my purposes.
*This paper will appear in a forthcoming issue of Rivista di Biologia
To read the entire paper, please click here.
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[ 22. February 2004, 22:52: Message edited by: Moderator ]
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