Re: tree-climbing hominids

H. M. Hubey (hubey@pegasus.montclair.edu)
10 Oct 1995 22:36:33 -0400

David Froehlich <eohippus@curly.cc.utexas.edu> writes:

>I can't believe I am actually responding to this.

Neither can I?

>Evolution does not have a direction.

Of course it does. It has one now and it's pointing in that
direction. If we knew more we'd be able to point in the
right direction. Actually I think some geneticists actually
think so too and would be willing to start.

Direction implies some idea of
>where you are going and some implication that once started the
>motion cannot be changed.

Direction doesn't imply anything about knowing which way to
go. If you want to define the word this way, then it's your
problem.

Evolution is a random process of mutation and
>selection.

Mutation doesn't have direction if the density function is
symmetric. If not it has a direction. Selection certainly
has a direction.

Just because an organism has gone so far in one direction
>does not mean that you can extrpolate future developments.

I can understand why you would want to defend this point of
view. If you don't we'll ask you to show the scientificity
of your science by making predictions. Don't worry, I won't.

-- 





				Regards, Mark

				http://www.smns.montclair.edu/~hubey