[extropy-chat] Re: intelligent design homework

[John K Clark]

"Robert Lindauer" <robgobblin at aol.com>

> adaptation -within- a species which has not been
> contested seriously by anyone.  What we're trying
> to get at is large-scale adaptations on the order
> of Rhinoceros-elephant splits

What about an intermediate case? Lions and Tigers are considered 2 separate
species in all the textbooks but they can interbreed and produce fertile
offspring, not easily, the success rate is quite low but it is possible. And
if just shown the bones even experts have enormous difficulty telling one
from the other. So is that adaptation within a species or large scale
adaptation or something in-between?

Another example are mules, about one in a million mules are fertile. So are
horses and donkeys COMPLETELY different species or ALMOST different species?
In evolution it is the rare success that drives things and after all, mules
are more intelligent and longer lived than either of their parents.

   John K Clark