The case of the birds on the Galapagos Islands is well documented and proven. Bear in mind also that the definition of "species" is not merely that members of the same species must be able to produce offspring, but that they must be able to produce fertile offspring.

About the homo sapiens and neanderthal thing, I haven't heard of any project to compare the DNA of homo sapiens with that of past members of the genus, but it's probably been done already, and I agree that it would be another good way to prove the existance of evolution. Then again, most scientists don't need the existance of evolution pointed out to them yet again.

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*Kenshiro gets off bed made from solid stone*
*Bed made from solid stone explodes*
Fist of the North Star

Just one problem: we're not talking about alterations in the genome. A different breed of, say, dog doesn't have any really different genes from any other breed. It's simply a different combination of existing traits.

The only way new genetic material can be created (in nature, at least) is through random mutation. If a random mutation took place that made, say, me incapable of reproducing with the rest of humankind, then, yes, I would constitute a new species. The only problem is that, for me to reproduce, and pass along this new gene, there'd have to be another person with the EXACT SAME RANDOM MUTATION, and the chances of that are infinitesimal. Even if a new species was created through mutation, it'd die out within one generation.

Thus the theory of evolution can be shredded in two paragraphs. It just doesn't work. It's as simple as that.

We would all be most appreciative (just kidding)

>"The only problem is that, for me to reproduce, and pass along this new gene, there'd have to be another person with the EXACT SAME RANDOM MUTATION, and the chances of that are infinitesimal. Even if a new species was created through mutation, it'd die out within one generation."

*sigh*
Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG.

Mutation does not occur through individuals, it occurs through GROUPS. Everybody with a smattering of understanding on the subject knows that. Get that through your cranium. Species changes do NOT occur with ONE mutation, or within ONE generation.

ONE mutation occurs. WITHIN A POPULATION of beings.
The mutant's changed condition enables it to better survive, and pass along its trait to its offspring. The small change thereby slowly passes through the surviving population. (What you have NOW is a minor subspecies) THEN, another small change occurs. and another, and another. Eventually, you pass up the scale to subspecies (or race, if you're talking h. sapiens). Still capable of interbreeding, BUT also physically different and adapted to different conditions.

Finally, after GENERATIONS, enough changes have occured that, while the small community can interbreed with each other, they are now too genetically disparate to mate with outside communities which, while still genetically similar, have likewise been mutating in their own directions.

THAT is how species differentiate.

SOMETIMES, species that are still very close on the evolutionary tree (like wild animals and their domestic counterparts) can still interbreed (but often this requires outside intervention, such as those with mules and tigons and ligers. Or, species which have only recently undergone differentiation (like the different species/subspecies of a certain bird that ring the arctic circle,) can sometimes interbreed (but not at the ends of the chain) but this shows the midrange of the cycle, it does not disprove it.

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"Ed Gruberman, you fail to grasp Ty Kwan Leap. Approach me, that you might see." -- The Master

"We would all be most appreciative (just kidding)"

As far as the "just kidding" goes, speak for yourself... :-)

Another thing that doesn't make any sense about your model is that you could quite easily end up with a situation where group A can reproduce with group B, and group B can reproduce with group C, but group A can NOT reproduce with group C. That just doesn't work. Let's put it in code:

if (a == b && b == c && a != c)
{
printf ("Evolution works!\n");
}

else
{
printf ("Evolution sucks!\n");
}

Care to guess what this program generates?

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"...[They've] been so completely dumbed down by the media, by tabloid scumbags, by the Christian "right", by politicians in general, the school, parents who are dumber than their parents were, who are dumber than their parents were, and all of whom think that they can bring up a child just because they got down in bed and had a little sex...well, frankly, here is an audience that knows more and more about less and less as the years go by...We are talking about a constituency...that knows nothing. This is pandemic; terrifyingly, paralyzingly pandemic. They know absolutely nothing."
- Harlan Ellison, on the Media Consumer of today.

NOTE: It's NOT www.woh-gives-teh-fuck!!!!1!!!.com.

------------------
"...[They've] been so completely dumbed down by the media, by tabloid scumbags, by the Christian "right", by politicians in general, the school, parents who are dumber than their parents were, who are dumber than their parents were, and all of whom think that they can bring up a child just because they got down in bed and had a little sex...well, frankly, here is an audience that knows more and more about less and less as the years go by...We are talking about a constituency...that knows nothing. This is pandemic; terrifyingly, paralyzingly pandemic. They know absolutely nothing."
- Harlan Ellison, on the Media Consumer of today.

ROFLMAO

You're right, actually -- I'm reading this article going, "yep, that sounds like Omega ..."

Say, Omega... If Yahweh wants A to mate with B and B to mate with C, but not A with C, can't he do that?

So he ISN'T an authority on Genetics? Well, that beats my canned beans.

------------------
"...[They've] been so completely dumbed down by the media, by tabloid scumbags, by the Christian "right", by politicians in general, the school, parents who are dumber than their parents were, who are dumber than their parents were, and all of whom think that they can bring up a child just because they got down in bed and had a little sex...well, frankly, here is an audience that knows more and more about less and less as the years go by...We are talking about a constituency...that knows nothing. This is pandemic; terrifyingly, paralyzingly pandemic. They know absolutely nothing."
- Harlan Ellison, on the Media Consumer of today.

------------------
Luke Ford: "What's it like having a dick in your ass?"

I don't HAVE to put it in code. It HAPPENS in NATURE. Nature trumps code, sorry.

I will, for your edification (you quite obviously need it), post the species names and the source just as soon as possible. Possibly tonight, when I have my hands on the book, possibly tomorrow. All I can tell you now is that it's a genus of birds the specied of which ring the arctic circle. And it's been PROVEN.

The same thing PROBABLY happens among the penguins of the south pole.

You are WRONG.

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"Ed Gruberman, you fail to grasp Ty Kwan Leap. Approach me, that you might see." -- The Master

Doesn't this seem a bit like what you say I do with creation?

Before you even post your "proof," let me ask: has it been proven that these species/sub-species CAN NOT reproduce? 'Cause otherwise, you got nothing.

I can't believe you're talking about yourself like this.