If we have TOE, then why is the amoeba still around?

[Philosophy Explorer]

Doesn't the theory of evolution predict that the amoeba should have gone the way of the dinosaurs? Why do they persist?

PhilX

[Skip]

Because they were not dependent on the vegetation destroyed by the volcanic ash.

[Arising_uk]

On top of that the dinosaurs are still around, they're the birds, crocodiles and sharks.

[Philosophy Explorer]

On top of that the dinosaurs are still around, they're the birds, crocodiles and sharks.

Quite a stretch.

PhilX

[Arising_uk]

Only if you don't believe the biologists.

The crocodiles were around with the dinosaurs as were the sharks. The birds are the evolved dinosaurs.

[Arising_uk]

Doesn't the theory of evolution predict that the amoeba should have gone the way of the dinosaurs? ...

Oh! And no it predicts no such thing.

[Obvious Leo]

Which amoebas are you talking about, Phil? They are not a single taxonomic group and there are many thousands of single-celled organisms which are classified in this way. In fact because of their fast reproduction rate they evolve very quickly, which makes the notion of a particular "species" of amoeba a very wrong-headed way to think about evolution. In fact the entire concept of speciation is meaningless in the case of organisms which reproduce asexually.

[Philosophy Explorer]

Which amoebas are you talking about, Phil? They are not a single taxonomic group and there are many thousands of single-celled organisms which are classified in this way. In fact because of their fast reproduction rate they evolve very quickly, which makes the notion of a particular "species" of amoeba a very wrong-headed way to think about evolution. In fact the entire concept of speciation is meaningless in the case of organisms which reproduce asexually.

I'm talking about all of them. The following article says the natural extinction rate on a yearly basis is very low:

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/bi ... diversity/

However when you're talking about thousands or millions of years, then a high % of species go extinct and our nearest ancestor, the Neanderthals, went extinct less than 50,000 years ago. Yet the amoeba has lasted for millions of years in whatever form they came in while every specie of human has gone extinct (except for Homo Sapiens of course). I've never heard it said they're indestructible so how do they survive for all those years?

PhilX

[Obvious Leo]

I've already explained all this, as could any high school biology student. Except as a taxonomic convenience for biologists speciation is biologically meaningless in organisms which reproduce asexually.

I've never heard it said they're indestructible so how do they survive for all those years?

They adapt to changing environmental conditions very quickly because they evolve quickly and they evolve quickly because they reproduce quickly. I'm astonished that you should need to have this explained to you. If their environmental niche is a very stable and unchanging one then they evolve very slowly because there is no selective imperative to change.

every specie of human has gone extinct (except for Homo Sapiens of course).

Yes. We ate most of the dumb ones but a few obviously managed to get away.

[Arising_uk]

... I've never heard it said they're indestructible so how do they survive for all those years?

Well to paraphrase J S Haldane either 'God' has an inordinate fondness for them or in evolutionary terms they are 'fit' for purpose and their environment hasn't changed enough to sieve them. That or that they evolve and reproduce pretty fast. Take your pick.