Let's get some facts on the table

[River Jordan]

Rather than repeating myself ad nauseum in multiple threads, I thought I'd go ahead and post a few things that are observed facts. So from here on I can just refer to this post rather than having to dig up the same things over and over.

There is a mix of technical articles and more layperson friendly material. If anyone wants additional information (or if some of the links don't work), let me know!

Fact #1 The Evolution of New Species

(keep in mind, "fish", "bird", "monkey" etc. are not examples of "species", and "a frog turning into a lizard" is not speciation....if you think it is, the problem isn't with the science, but with your understanding of it)

Finches

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/11/12/0911761106


South Atlantic Island Finches

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/315/5817/1420


Fruit flies

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2332612&dopt=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=14519211&dopt=Abstract

Whiptail lizards (in the lab)

http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2011/05/03/1102811108.short?rss=1

Cichlids

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11918795&dopt=Abstract

Cicadas

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11005298&dopt=Abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=11165695&dopt=Abstract

Yeast

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12459586&dopt=Abstract

Bacteria

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=10752687&dopt=Abstract

Goatsbeard

http://www.amjbot.org/cgi/content/abstract/91/7/1022

Sparrows

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05183.x/abstract

Apple maggot fly (in the process)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=12663534&query_hl=10&itool=pubmed_docsum

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/102/suppl_1/6573

Hybrid speciation

http://scienceblogs.com/evolgen/2006/12/hybrid_speciation_strikes_agai.php


Fact #2 The Evolution of New Traits, Abilities, and Genetic Sequences (i.e., "new genetic information")


(there are waaaaaaaaaaay more than this, but the following is sufficient to make the point)

Evolution of beneficial mutations, parallel evolution, and new traits

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17691099

Rapid evolution of structures in introduced lizards

http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/105/12/4792


Evolution of chimeric genes in yeast

http://mbe.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/15/8/931.pdf


Evolution of multicellularity in lab

http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/evec/1998/00000012/00000002/00171545

Experimental evolution of multicellularity in yeast

http://www.pnas.org/content/109/5/1595


Evolution of new genes

http://www3.uta.edu/faculty/betran/publications.htm

http://www.nature.com/nrg/journal/v4/n11/abs/nrg1204.html


Origin and evolution of new exons in rodents

http://www.genome.org/cgi/content/abstract/15/9/1258



Fact 3# Transitional Fossils Between Taxa

(a "transitional fossil" is a specimen that shows a mixture of characteristics of different taxa, and again this is hardly a complete list but is sufficient to make the point)



Intermediate Fossils

http://www.asa3.org/ASA/resources/Miller.html


Sinosauropteryx (4 complete skeletons)

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v391/n6663/full/391147a0.html

Caudipteryx (5 nearly complete skeletons)

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v393/n6687/full/393753a0.html

Protarchaeopteryx (2 specimens)

http://www.paleoglot.org/files/ji&ji_97.pdf

Theropod with avian lung features

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v436/n7048/abs/nature03716.html

Dilong

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilong_paradoxus


Mahakala

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2007/09/06/dinosaurs-beyond-cute/


Pre-Cambrian to Cambrian transitional fossils

http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1997/PSCF12-97Miller2.html

http://www.asa3.org/asa/PSCF/2001/PSCF3-01Morton.html


Pre-Cambrian proto-mollusk

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vendian/kimberella.html


Cambrian transitional between halkieriids and wiwaxiids

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/315/5816/1255


Reptiles to mammals

http://palaeos.com/vertebrates/synapsida/synapsida.html#Synapsida

Yanoconodon (transitional between reptiles and mammals)

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v446/n7133/abs/nature05627.html








Fossilized eye muscles showing transitional state

http://journals.royalsociety.org/content/567m1711432025rn/


Fact #4 The Utility of Evolutionary Theory

(showing how using an evolutionary framework allows for accurate interpretation of data)


Using evolution to determine gene function

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/loom/2010/07/16/from-the-vault-whats-a-gene-for/

PLOS paper for above

http://compbiol.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&doi=10.1371/journal.pcbi.0010045

Evolutionary Genomics

http://www.genome.duke.edu/research/evolutionary/


Fact #5 Beneficial Mutations


Increase in life span and limited tumor growth

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/313/5789/971?etoc

Evolution of resistance in HIV

http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=evolution+resistance+HIV

Resistance in weeds

http://www.weedscience.org/Case/Reference.asp?ReferenceID=623

Resistance to male sex pathogen

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/317/5835/214

Evolution of “hyperswimmers” in bacteria

http://www.cell.com/cell-reports/abstract/S2211-1247%2813%2900388-4




Fact #6 Mathematical Evidence for Universal Common Descent


Statistical Test of Universal Common Ancestry

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20463738

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2010/05/100513-science-evolution-darwin-single-ancestor/



Fact #7 Many Christians Accept Evolution as True

http://theclergyletterproject.org/Christian_Clergy/ChrClergyLtr.htm


I think that's enough for now. If I find myself repeating other things over and over, I'll add to this list.

 

[HammerStone]

Thread closed. We have numerous ongoing evolution debate threads ongoing, we just don't need another one.