Intelligent versus non-intelligent ideas about design and evolution

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Intelligent versus non-intelligent ideas about
design and evolution

• Dr. Darrell J. Kemp
• Department of biology, Macquarie University

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Why is Evolution Important?

• Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the
  Light of Evolution
• - Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975)
• 2009 a special year
• 200th Anniversary of Darwins birthday
• 150th Anniversary of the Origin of Species

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What Darwinian Evolution is (and isnt)

• Doesnt explain the meaning of life
• or even, necessarily, the processes that
  initiated life in the first place (origin of
  life)
• Does explain The diversification of life forms,
  once life on earth initiated (i.e., the Origin
  of Species)

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Process of Natural selection (as Darwin
formulated it)

• Top-Down explanation for the diversity and
  complexity of life forms on the planet.
• Three necessary and sufficient conditions
• Struggle for survival (Competition)
• Variation (Differences among individuals)
• Inheritance (Offspring resemble their parents).

Evolution is an emergent property (a
consequence) of these rules
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• Another curious aspect of the theory of
  (Darwinian) evolution is that everybody thinks he
  understands it
• - Jacques Monod (Herbert-Spencer Lecture)

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1. Initial (variable) population
25 25 25 25
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2. Differential survival(selection upon
happiness)
Best OK Worst
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3. Reproduction (and inheritance)
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4. Generation2
8 42 25 25
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5. Differential survival
Went extinct
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6. Reproduction
Novel variation introduced
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7. Generation3
8 42 25 25
8 67 17 8 8
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8. Differential survival
went extinct
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9. Reproduction
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10. Generation4
17 75 8
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11. Differential survival
went extinct
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12. Reproduction
Novel
Novel
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12. Generation5
8 42 25 25
25 58 8 8
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• Gen1
• Gen2
• Gen3
• Gen4
• Gen5

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• Gen1
• Gen2
• Gen3
• Gen4
• Gen5

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• Gen1
• Gen2
• Gen3
• Gen4
• Gen5

X
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• Gen1
• Gen2
• Gen3
• Gen4
• Gen5

X
X
X
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• Gen1
• Gen2
• Gen3
• Gen4
• Gen5

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• Gen1
• Gen2
• Gen3
• Gen4
• Gen5

EVOLUTION !
Population evolved to be happier!!
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The evidence is overwhelming!!
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The evidence is overwhelming!!
Fossil record
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The evidence is overwhelming!!
Fossil record
Fossil record
Biogeography
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The evidence is overwhelming!!
Comparative anatomy/ embryology
Biogeography
Fossil record
Fossil record
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The evidence is overwhelming!!
Molecular biology
Comparative anatomy/ embryology
Biogeography
Fossil record
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The evidence is overwhelming!!
Comparative anatomy/ embryology
Biogeography
Fossil record
Artificial selection
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So, where do humans fit in?
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HERE !! (very roughly)
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Humans Related to Apes?
Shock horror!!!
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Humans Related to Apes?
Human DNA and chimp DNA 99 identical
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Humans Related to Apes?
Is it really so unbelievable?
www.bushorchimp.com
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Intelligent Design theory

• Essentially an innovation (on behalf of the
  creationism movement) to circumvent US
  constitutional law
• (an attempt to package creationist views up as a
  bona-fide scientific theory)

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I.D. theory states

• An unspecified entity which is currently
  unobservable used unknown techniques and tools to
  design life, and/or the universe.
• Philip Johnson (Law Professor)

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I.D. theory states

• An unspecified entity which is currently
  unobservable used unknown techniques and tools to
  design life, and/or the universe.

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?
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The Flying spaghetti monster (www.veganza.org)
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"This isn't really, and never has been a debate
about science. It's about religion and
philosophy."
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Intelligent design vs. Evolution

• "Both sides ought to be properly taught . . . so
  people can understand what the debate is about
• President George W. Bush, August 1 2005

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Why does this matter for us? because, what
happens in the USA
does NOT always stay in the USA (even if it is
really bad!)
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The power of prediction (in an uncertain world)
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The power of prediction (in a certain world)
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Thanks for listening!

• There is a grandeur in this view of life, with
  its several powers, having been originally
  breathed into a few forms or into one and
  thatfrom so simple a beginning, endless forms
  most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and
  are being, evolved