Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Large Mouth that were never stocked

The theory of evolution and its contribution to speciation has reached the highest level of acceptance (no laws in biology) even though it can not really be formally "tested" (at least for macro-evolution). It gained this level of acceptance due to observation (including assembling fossil records) as well as great leaps in the field of molecular biology which identified the mechanism to support the observed biology of natural selection. The compartmentalizing of all science as being only that which can be tested in controlled experiments is a common tactic of those that want to cast doubt on the evolutionary process. None of us were there when species were evolving, but that does not mean science does not support it. I have used some obvious ridiculous examples to drive home some points, and must also say that Lemarck turned out to not be completely wrong either based on our recent understanding of epigentics (but pretty darn wrong on speciation). Traits (genes) can indeed be turned on by environmental conditions and then transferred to offspring. BTW -"parallel science" and "alternative facts" are not the same as "alternative thinking" or postulating reasonable alternative hypotheses. They are rather postulates that run counter to the mass of evidence based on cherry-picked evidence taken out of context. These terms have actual definitions that are not "alternative definitions":)