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From: dubois@uwmacc.UUCP (Paul DuBois)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: Re: Isolation and Unique Species
Message-ID: <995@uwmacc.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 28-Apr-85 01:52:17 EDT
Article-I.D.: uwmacc.995
Posted: Sun Apr 28 01:52:17 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 29-Apr-85 07:22:14 EDT
References: <217@ihnet.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: UW-Madison Primate Center
Lines: 40


> [K. A. Dahlke]
> 	How could new species appear in isolated regions if they didn't evolve?

> The islands were not there when animals first appeared.
> (I am not dealing with the "young earth" or "God is fooling our eyes" camps.)
> Furthermore, the diversity of unique island species is highly correlated
> with the island's time of isolation, and the number of niches on it.
> Why should Hawaii have 4/5 of the world's drosophila species?
> It doesn't contain 4/5 of the world's land area.
> Rather, it provided many different environments,
> and isolation (not many fly eaters).  These short-generation animals quickly
> evolved into a dizzying number of species.
> Why were 90% of Hawaii's indigenous plants unique?
> Why are island animals (e.g. turtles) larger than their mainland counterparts?
> Why do birds become large and flightless on islands.
> Is flying expensive, and hard to justify without cats around,
> or did God just snap his/her fingers again.
> Why does evolution explain most of these phenomena.
> Why can creationism explain none of this,
> without resorting to coincidence, or continual divine intervention (unlikely).

I understand how evolution explains most of these, but I have to ask
about one:  what is the explanation for larger animals on islands
than on the mainland?

> 	The "Life on Earth" series has given me valuable
> insight into the evolutionary process.
> More important, I am again reminded
> of the complexity and diversity of life on our planet.
> The beauty of a bird in flight necessarily
> captivates evolutionists and creationists alike.

Very true!

-- 
                                                                    |
Paul DuBois	{allegra,ihnp4,seismo}!uwvax!uwmacc!dubois        --+--
                                                                    |
"There are two sides to every argument, until you take one."        |