Re: chimps on the savanna? Nooooo.....

H. M. Hubey (hubey@pegasus.montclair.edu)
29 Oct 1995 18:52:42 -0500

ghanenbu@inter.nl.net (Gerrit Hanenburg) writes:

>new species seem to appear quite suddenly with virtually no evidence of
>transitional forms,and after their initial appearance show little
>substantial change.

which would seem to indicate rapid changes. In other words
the changes are taking place over a shorter time period
than one would otherwise suppose.

>However,as the record becomes more complete transitions take on a more
>gradual character and there seems to be more fluctuation in morphology.
>(but there are exceptions)

YOu can fiddle with computer models in morphing to produce this
effect. Instead of having a constant rate of change you can
speed it up for a short time and then slow it down. If you look
at the frames during the speeded-up set of frames, you will, of
course, find them to be 'gradual'. How could it 'jump'?

-- 

Regards, Mark
http://www.smns.montclair.edu/~hubey