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11 years ago
Some "authorities" cite the peppered moth observations by Kettleworth as sufficient to explain how natural selection is a creative force which can encourage near-miraculous developments (such as the evolution of the kidney or reproductive systems).  

It is thought that the peppered moth phenomenon (industrial melanism) prove the whole theory of evolution.  Is this reasonable?

Isaac Asimov for one, in his "New Guide to Science."
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wrote...
11 years ago
Industrial Melanism and the Peppered Moth are not by themselves sufficient evidence to say that the theory of evolution by natural selection is proved.

(of course, in science *nothing* is ever proved, only demonstrated to be likely or possible).

However, in combination with all the other evidence for evolution (fossils, comparative anatomy, comparative genetics, comparative embryology, other observed instances of evolution) there is strong evidence that evolution is the best model to describe the way the natural world operates.
wrote...
11 years ago
Scientific theories don't get "proved," and the Peppered moth, being just one example, certainly doesn't explain the whole theory of evolution. Instead, the Peppered moth illustrates one driving force of evolution (natural selection). There are other driving forces as well, such as mutation, genetic drift, and gene flow. So the point is, it's unreasonable to reduce the whole theory of evolution to natural selection.

Volumes of scientific evidence in numerous fields, including genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology, developmental biology, comparative anatomy, immunology, geology, biogeography, embryology, artificial selection experiments, paleontology, etc. Evidence from these various fields point to one thing - species have changed through time.
wrote...
11 years ago
Your quotes around "authorities", to say nothing of your previous postings, suggest that you have already made up your mind that evolution is a figment of someone's imagination. The evolution of Biston during very recent times, does not "prove" evolution. No scientific law can ever be proven, only disproven. However, I have never seen any better natural experiment in any field of science. If you want to learn about the kidney of reproductive system, get yourself a good comparative anatomy book. It helps if you can read German, as much of the good early work was published in that language. You will find that there has been gradual development in the UG system. Bear in mind that you will only have the end-points to examine, so it is like inferring the branches from the tips of the twigs. It can be done but it isn't easy.
wrote...
11 years ago
Well, to say that it proves a theory, for one is incorrect.
I don't know where you are getting these claims, but the experiment does prove natural selection, which is a characteristic of evolution.

Evolution can occur due to many things, and natural selection is just one of many things that can cause this.

I think you are over-exaggerating a bit when you say it proves the "whole" theory, as there are many parts of the theory.

Either way- it is silly to refute that evolution occurs.
It is a well known, and proven fact that it does occur, and it can be observed through experimentation, or nature.
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