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[cntr]

This reminds me of some stuff I read (or watching on TV...can't remember) a while ago regarding navel oranges and avocados: they are essentially all copies of a single genetic anomaly since they are all propagated through graftings either directly from the original plant or some descendants of the original plant (moreso with Navel oranges)

Interestingly, the Cavendish banana may eventually die out due to this reason − the lack of genetic diversity gives it no defense against Panama disease, which will cause the Cavendish to be nearly wiped out.
The Cavendish itself was a replacement for the Gros Michel ("Big Mike") banana, which was the main banana in markets prior to 1950s − research is going on to either replace the Cavendish with a new variety of Banana or use genetic modification to allow bananas to resist diseases.

Also, here's another picture of a wild Banana:

Those things are hard seeds − sounds really nasty.

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

That's just silly, God is supposed to be omniscient and omnipotent so everything that happened would already be known to God. Why would God design evolution if he already knew how it would end up anyway?

In that case, he could've just started things off at the final state he knew they'd eventually reach. No need to actually go through history when it's a foregone conclusion.

 

[Mr.Squirrel]

Can anyone recommend some good books on evolution? Sadly I went to a Christian school who didn't even teach ID in science class, and the little bit of education I got about evolution was in middle school.

I know the basics of evolution, but I don't really understand it. I have questions that no one has ever been able to answer like how is babby formed and who was the phone? Any probably the most compelling question, why we still got monkeys? Why doesn't science explain these mysteries of life?

Seriously though if anyone can recommend some good books I'd appreciate it, I really don't have a strong understanding of evolution, but I'd really like to understand it more.

 

[Prez]

Can anyone recommend some good books on evolution? Sadly I went to a Christian school who didn't even teach ID in science class, and the little bit of education I got about evolution was in middle school.

Seriously? You rather would have been taught ID in science class than nothing at all?

Also, you admit knowing nothing about evolution, yet you pretend to know what science hasn't explained yet?

I know the basics of evolution, but I don't really understand it. I have questions that no one has ever been able to answer like how is babby formed and who was the phone? Any probably the most compelling question, why we still got monkeys? Why doesn't science explain these mysteries of life?

 

[Mgoblue201]

Can anyone recommend some good books on evolution? Sadly I went to a Christian school who didn't even teach ID in science class, and the little bit of education I got about evolution was in middle school.

I know the basics of evolution, but I don't really understand it. I have questions that no one has ever been able to answer like how is babby formed and who was the phone? Any probably the most compelling question, why we still got monkeys? Why doesn't science explain these mysteries of life?

Seriously though if anyone can recommend some good books I'd appreciate it, I really don't have a strong understanding of evolution, but I'd really like to understand it more.

I enjoyed "Darwin's Ghost" by Steve Jones (which also mentions the fox example listed above). It's not anything like a basic overview, so it's not a scientific approach, but it's written using examples of evolution throughout the natural world, patterned after Darwin's Origin book. I haven't read "The Greatest Show on Earth" yet, the new Richard Dawkins book,but supposedly it's written to be a kind of eminently readable crash course.

 

[Mr.Squirrel]

Seriously? You rather would have been taught ID in science class than nothing at all?

huh? I don't know how in the hell you came away with that from my post.....I said when I was in HS, they didn't even teach ID, aka they completely ignored anything about the origin/progression of life on earth. Also when I was in middle school evolution was discussed, and that's all I learned in school about the subject. Everything else I've read taught myself, but I still don't have the level of understanding about the subject that I'd like, hence which is why I asked for book recommendations.

Also, you admit knowing nothing about evolution, yet you pretend to know what science hasn't explained yet?

I didn't say I know nothing about evolution, I said I don't understand it the way I'd like to. I know about natural selection, mutation, and the fundamental processes that caused us to go through the various stages of human evolution, I just don't have a strong enough understanding of it to say, adequately explain it to someone else if put on the spot.

 

[Mr.Squirrel]

I enjoyed "Darwin's Ghost" by Steve Jones (which also mentions the fox example listed above). It's not anything like a basic overview, so it's not a scientific approach, but it's written using examples of evolution throughout the natural world, patterned after Darwin's Origin book. I haven't read "The Greatest Show on Earth" yet, the new Richard Dawkins book,but supposedly it's written to be a kind of eminently readable crash course.

Cool I'll pick those up and read through em. I have a shit load of books in my amazon cart, trying to figure if I'm getting books or games for myself for Christmas. I have a strong feeling the books are gonna lose tho lol.

 

[Xater]

Can anyone recommend some good books on evolution? Sadly I went to a Christian school who didn't even teach ID in science class, and the little bit of education I got about evolution was in middle school.

I know the basics of evolution, but I don't really understand it. I have questions that no one has ever been able to answer like how is babby formed and who was the phone? Any probably the most compelling question, why we still got monkeys? Why doesn't science explain these mysteries of life?

Seriously though if anyone can recommend some good books I'd appreciate it, I really don't have a strong understanding of evolution, but I'd really like to understand it more.

Maybe the new Dawkins book is a good start: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=374480

Why we still got monkeys is quite easy:

Ok I hope I'll get the English right because I only learned all this stuff in German. So every animal has his ecological niche. That's basically how and where that animal lives, what food it eats and so on. Now in one generation there is a mutation. Let's say for some reason it is way more efficient at getting food than the old animal. Then it will be the one who get's to survive and reproduce. We get this new animal which may even repress the "old" animal. In the case of monkeys and humans, humans found themselves a new ecological niche. That way they did not compete with the monkeys.

I think that should cover it, but it's very simplified. You could read up on Darwin's Finches. That explains the whole ecological niche thing.

 

[MoxManiac]

Check out the talk origins archive as well: http://www.talkorigins.org/

Most of it is in the context of debunking creationism but there is a lot of good information there.

 

[Tieno]

Check this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enrLSfxTqZ0

Lower adrenaline levels make the dog more friendly and change the coat's colour. It's not evolution working, you'd get the same result just oppressing adrenaline production in baby foxes.

You're missing the point or I didn't express it very well. This is human breeding by artificial selection on basis of tameness. It shows that selecting on one thing, can have effects or a cascade (in this case through lower adrenaline as shown in the video) on other seemingly unrelated traits. This can also happen in evolution by natural selection.
What this teaches us is that you have to ask the right question, because the trait you might be questioning its evolutionary path might be a byproduct or a complex interplay caused by natural selection on a trait that 'seemingly' is unrelated via a superficially 'invisible' connection.

 

[Mr.Squirrel]

Maybe the new Dawkins book is a good start: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=374480

Why we still got monkeys is quite easy:

Ok I hope I'll get the English right because I only learned all this stuff in German. So every animal has his ecological niche. That's basically how and where that animal lives, what food it eats and so on. Now in one generation there is a mutation. Let's say for some reason it is way more efficient at getting food than the old animal. Then it will be the one who get's to survive and reproduce. We get this new animal which may even repress the "old" animal. In the case of monkeys and humans, humans found themselves a new ecological niche. That way they did not compete with the monkeys.

I think that should cover it, but it's very simplified. You could read up on Darwin's Finches. That explains the whole ecological niche thing.

lol i was joking about the why we still got monkeys thing but thanks for answering. i see you ignored the who was the phone question tho, I guess God did it

 

[Xater]

lol i was joking about the why we still got monkeys thing but thanks for answering

Sorry, thought you were serious. I saw this very question somewhere from some religious people. :lol

 

[Mr.Squirrel]

Sorry, thought you were serious. I saw this very question somewhere from some religious people. :lol

lol thats from a steve harvey quote, lol run of the mill gaf meme

 

[methos75]

I hate the why we still got monkeys question, even when being funny its still just lame. for starters we are not evolved from monkeys, we evolved from the great Apes, secondly not ever species lead too us and those that did not also continue to evolve as well, hence we still got monkeys.

 

[mrkgoo]

I hate the why we still got monkeys question, even when being funny its still just lame. for starters we are not evolved from monkeys, we evolved from the great Apes, secondly not ever species lead too us and those that did not also continue to evolve as well, hence we still got monkeys.

I find it amusing, but I am easily amused.

Perhaps another way to put it is monkeys are 'just as' evolved, only for a different ecological niche. Evolution simply precludes that we share common ancestry.

 

[Zenith]

I hate the why we still got monkeys question, even when being funny its still just lame. for starters we are not evolved from monkeys, we evolved from the great Apes, secondly not ever species lead too us and those that did not also continue to evolve as well, hence we still got monkeys.

I hate it due to the sheer lack of understanding of how the society works. It implies such stupidity and lack of grip on reality on their part. How can they possibly think no one has ever suggested it before? If it were so simple the theory would have been torn to shreds on conception. Do they really think billions of people have just forgotten "monkeys" exist?

 

[Chinner]

DEATH.TO.AMERICA.

 

[Extollere]

I posted this in another thread, but I suppose it bears repeating here.. great explanation, even if a tad repetitive. I suppose the idiots will need to hear it many times

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh0F4FBLJRE (why we still got monkeys explained)

 

[WordAssassin]

That's just silly, God is supposed to be omniscient and omnipotent so everything that happened would already be known to God. Why would God design evolution if he already knew how it would end up anyway?

This is a good answer...

In that case, he could've just started things off at the final state he knew they'd eventually reach. No need to actually go through history when it's a foregone conclusion.

But I think this one might even be better.

For the same reason I watch the Shawshank Redemption every time it comes on.:lol

Maybe He enjoys watching the process? Maybe it's a little bit different every time He does it? But really, how the hell would I know? I'm not God. He does a lot of things that I think are pretty fucked up to be honest. And as someone pointed out, apparently the Bible says God ISN'T omniscient and omnipotent. You could say "Why did God give us free will if He has a plan for each of us anyways?" too. My answer would be God's plan for us is like time travel on LOST. We can travel down the road however we want but in the end we'll get where we need to go because whatever happens, happens.

 

[mckmas8808]

lol thats from a steve harvey quote, lol run of the mill gaf meme

It's good to see that the thread I started, started a GAF meme.

 

[Dresden]

One of the best books about evolution out there. Simple to read, too, and very accessible. Great for 'converting' people.

 

[methos75]

One of the best books about evolution out there. Simple to read, too, and very accessible. Great for 'converting' people.

no book can convert anyone, someone has too be open to the idea first. I have let my dad read every book I have and all of failed to convince him and I have some of the greats.