vegetariantaxidermy wrote: ↑Sat Oct 09, 2021 10:18 pm
... It's not my job to explain it to you. ... We are talking about infinitesimal changes over a VERY long time.
No one asked you to, especially since you have no idea how even evolutionary biologists explain evolution. No evolutionary biologist today even suggest evolution proceeds by, "infinitesimal changes over a VERY long time," which any geneticist can explain is impossible. The only explanation for evolution is mutation and no mutation can produce an, "infinitesimal," or even very small change.
There are four ways for genetic variations to occur:
1. Point mutation. This is the result of damage to the DNA from external sources such as radiation or cellular aging. The DNA changes one of its base pairs, thus changing the code from one amino acid to another. Almost always this is deleterious.
2. Recombination. This occurs when DNA from one part of the genome breaks away and rejoins at another part of the genome. It is more regularly and frequently an event in all genomes, prokaryote and eukaryote, as small sections of DNA are exchanged between chromosomes during the phases of cell division, usually being either neutral in effect or deleterious as in Philadelphia 21, which leads to Chronic Myloid Leukemia.
3. Transposition. Small fragments of DNA known as transposons are able to "lift" fragments of DNA and transport them, in the case of bacteria, into a different cell via plasmids and viruses, or in the few eukaryotes found to have them, such as Drosophila, around the cell genome.
4. Re-assortment. Possession by eukaryotic cells of two pairs of genetic information which separate randomly in cell division and then pair with the opposite from the second parent during fertilization.
For all sexually reproducing eukaryotes, re-assortment is the most significant kind of mutation for the evolutionary theory, because evolution assumes any features acquired (or lost) by mutation must be passed on to offspring. That means only changes in the germ line DNA, i.e. sperm and ova, have any significance in the evolution of any more complex (sexual) organisms. Changes to somatic cells are irrelevant to the theory.
There are no gradual tiny changes possible by mutation. Almost all known mutations are deleterious and all are profound. They have to be profound or they won't work at all.
There is no way a single small change can result in a viable new feature. All aspects of any new feature must be in place and functioning or it cannot work at all. Consider DNA transcription to produce a protein in a cell. The correct DNA sequence must be in place. The mRNA must have been produced correctly by its DNA, and be in place; the tRNA, a different one for each amino acid, must have been correctly transcribed and formed; and the ribosomes of both units must have been correctly transcribed and their tertiary structure formed; and the enzymes involved must all be present and active. The ATP pump must be working to provide the energy required. The correct solution of salts and trace elements must be present and at exactly the correct pH. The cellular pool must have all components for each amino acid present. If any of those features are not exactly as required, the cell dies. There is no way all those aspects of a cell could have, "evolved," gradually, because they all had to be exactly what they are, or the cell would not be viable.
That's a little of what I know about genetics and evolution, but I'm always willing to learn more. At present, there is no explanation of the origins of things or even a good reason to seek one. Only what actually is here matters and can be studied without guessing how it got here. How it got here is irrelevent, it will be the same however it got here. What is certain is that none of today's popular hypotheses for origins is right, whether creation, intelligent design, or evolution.