Sean Pitman: there is no single set species definition that …

Comment on Southern Adventist University opens Origins Exhibit by Professor Kent.

Sean Pitman: there is no single set species definition that can be consistently and universally applied. One is forced to pick and choose and combine various species concepts, with a component of human subjectivity thrown in, in order to define what is and what is not really a “species”.
In contrast, my definition of a unique “kind” of gene pool, based on levels of functional complexity that are beyond the reach of any naturalistic mechanism, can be universally applied, in theory at least, without dependence upon human subjectivity.

No, Sean, you are dead wrong, though I’m sure you will continue to argue otherwise.

The key problem with your definition is that it lacks clarity and operational specificity. Here are just a few problems that come to mind without delving deep:

1. Your definition assumes that two or more populations having functional differences are reproductively isolated, but fails to identify how different the differences must be–unless it’s your magical 1000 fsaars, in which case useful data are completely lacking for the vast majority of species. To illustrate this problem, try telling us exactly what functional differences exist among the following universally recognized sympatric species. Better yet, tell us the size of these differences (in fsaar or other relevant units).

Small-mouthed bass, large-mouthed bass (fish)
Tiger salamander, spotted salamander (amphibians)
Golden eagle, bald eagle (birds)
Deer mouse, cactus mouse (mammals)

2. Your definition relies on the same criteria used in other species concepts or definitions. The functional differences that might exist could, for example, result from morphological differences (morphological species concept), ecological differences (ecological species concept), or behavioral differences (behavioral species concept). You haven’t introduced anything novel with your definition.

3. Your definition fails to consider the relevance of functional differences to reproductive isolation and population divergence. It ignores polymorphisms, for example, which can result in dramatic functional differences among individuals within a single population, yet the functionally distinct genotypes do not emerge as distinct species. These polymorphisms can be maintained by frequency-dependent selection (you probably need to Google this) within a single population. Genetic polymorphisms in alternative mating tactics, for example, are widespread among animals. Consider the many species of fish which have multiple (as many as four) genetically-based alternative mating tactics. Some males (territorial males) take a long time to achieve a large size, but then set up and defend territories from other males, and mate many females that enter their territory. Other males (sneaker males) quickly mature at a small size and, resembling a female, they sneak into the territories of the territorial males and obtain fertilizations by cuckoldry. Functionally, these mating tactics are very, very different, yet they are maintained within a single gene pool by frequency-dependent selection. Another example of a genetic polymorphism would be the European cuckoo, in which some female lineages prefer to brood parasitize (lay eggs in nest of) one particular songbird species, and other female lineages prefer to brood parasitize other particular songbird species. Again, you’ve got a major functional difference resulting in multiple females gentes (lineages), but males cross-mate them to maintain the cuckoo as a single species. Genetic-based morphological polymorphisms are also abundant, such as within the snow goose. The white versus blue individuals, having very distinctive colors, result in significant thermoregularly differences, yet the two groups formerly considered distinct species maintain a single gene pool.

4. Your definition overlooks subtle traits that may be non-functional, but which can still lead to reproductive isolation and population divergence. Consider the gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor) and Cope’s gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis). These are two broadly sympatric cryptic species that look identical. The former is diploid and the latter is tetraploid. They can be distinguished by comparing their calls relative to body temperature (i.e., one must know the body temperature) and by examining the size of their red blood cells, which differs because of DNA content. Their gene pools are maintained separately because hybrids would be triploid and gamete production via meiosis would break down. Your definition would synonymize these two taxa unless–and I wish you good luck–you could identify functional differences.

Professor Kent Also Commented

Southern Adventist University opens Origins Exhibit
Regarding the possible evolution of feathers in birds, information for producing feathers exists in the genes of the American Alligator, but the instructions are suppressed during embryological development, causing alligator hatchlings to produce only scales. Again, I don’t see a single huge step to go from featherless to feathered.

When one considers the dramatic variation in feather types that exists today–from simple (single filament) to complex (with barbs and barbules), I don’t see a single 1,000-fsaar step as being necessary for this transition.


Southern Adventist University opens Origins Exhibit

Sean Pitman: [@ Pauluc] I’ve given you numerous examples already of systems that require a minimum of far more than 1000 specifically arranged residues. How many more examples do you need?

Disregarding bacterial examples (which could have arrived from another galaxy), here are the examples Sean provided earlier to argue that transitions between major animal groups (e.g., amphibians to reptiles, reptiles to mammals or birds) would be impossible:

Sean Pitman in a prior post: Anything novel between these groups that requires a minimum of more than 1000 specifically arranged amino acid parts would qualify (or an equivalent number of codons of DNA) – like the middle ear with tympanic membrane and ear bone in amphibians as well as the amphibian ability to metamorphosize to the adult stage (vs. no such middle ears with in fish or the ability to metamorphosize legs, lungs, etc.), or the amniotic eggs of reptiles with a tough leathery shell (vs. the soft watery gel that surrounds the eggs of amphibians), or the hair and sweat glands of mammals (compared to a lack of such in reptiles), or the true flight feathers of birds with their interlocking Velcro-like features (compared to a lack of such in true reptiles).

I’d like to know how many specifically arranged amino acid parts would be necessary for each these traits. I see no reason why smaller baby steps can’t accomplish these transitions.

Very dramatic mutations can result in entire supernumery limbs appearing out of place in both invertebrates and vertebrates, so I don’t see any difficulty with extra bones showing up in the ear.

Regarding the evolution of hair, a prior study found chickens, lizards, and humans all possessed a similar set of genes that was involved in the production of alpha keratin. In chickens and lizards, the α-keratin produced was found in their claws, but in mammals it was used to produce hair.

Speaking of the leathery eggs of reptiles, there are individual species which exhibit vivipary (live birth), ovovivipary (egg retained internally until birth), or ovipary (egg-laying) depending on where they live. And many embryologists no longer recognize these three categories, as there appears to be a continuum from live-bearing to egg-laying. Doesn’t seem to me the differences are all that insurmountable.


Southern Adventist University opens Origins Exhibit

Sean Pitman: Certainly all variation at lower levels of functional complexity could easily be realized in this period of time.

This faith-based claim simply cannot be demonstrated.

Sean Pitman: Humans and apes are quite different in various respects, to include brain structure and function – which is thought to be based on numerous differences in genetic regions that code for miRNAs (around 8% of which are human specific).

You failed to indicate where the 1,000-fsaar gap would be. Where is the evidence these changes could not occur via gradual stepwise change? You’ve argued vociferously that all dog breeds could be derived from a single pair within 4,000 years (you’ve made a case for most occuring in 300 years), why couldn’t these closely-related apes evolve over millions of years?

Sean Pitman: A study published by Nature in early 2010 showed many striking differences between human and chimp chromosome structure, gene content, and even qualitatively unique genes between the two species.

Where are the 1,000-fsaar gaps?


Recent Comments by Professor Kent

Gary Gilbert, Spectrum, and Pseudogenes

Sean Pitman: Science isn’t about “cold hard facts.” Science is about interpreting the “facts” as best as one can given limited background experiences and information. Such interpretations can be wrong and when shown to be wrong, the honest will in fact change to follow where the “weight of evidence” seems to be leading.

Much of science is based on highly technical data that few other than those who generate it can understand. For most questions, science yields data insufficient to support a single interpretation. And much of science leads to contradictory interpretations. Honest individuals will admit that they have a limited understanding of the science, and base their opinions on an extremely limited subset of information which they happen to find compelling whether or not the overall body of science backs it up.


Gary Gilbert, Spectrum, and Pseudogenes

Sean Pitman: The process of detecting artefacts as true artefacts is a real science based on prior experience, experimentation, and testing with the potential of future falsification. Oh, and I do happen to own a bona fide polished granite cube.

Not from Mars. Finding the cube on Mars is the basis of your cubical caricature of science, not some artefact under your roof.

Sean Pitman:
Professor Kent: If you think my brother-in-law who loves to fish in the Sea of Cortez is a scientist because he is trying to catch a wee little fish in a big vast sea, then I guess I need to view fishermen in a different light. I thought they were hobbyists.

The question is not if one will catch a fish, but if one will recognize a fish as a fish if one ever did catch a fish. That’s the scientific question here. And, yet again, the clear answer to this question is – Yes.

I think I’m going to spend the afternoon with my favorite scientist–my 8-year-old nephew. We’re going to go fishing at Lake Elsinore. He wants to know if we might catch a shark there. Brilliant scientist, that lad. He already grasps the importance of potentially falsifiable empirical evidence. I’m doubtful we’ll catch a fish, but I think he’ll recognize a fish if we do catch one.

While fishing, we’ll be scanning the skies to catch a glimpse of archaeopteryx flying by. He believes they might exist, and why not? Like the SETI scientist, he’s doing science to find the elusive evidence.

He scratched himself with a fish hook the other day and asked whether he was going to bleed. A few moments later, some blood emerged from the scratched. Talk about potentilly falsifiable data derived from a brilliant experiment. I’m telling you, the kid’s a brilliant scientist.

What’s really cool about science is that he doesn’t have to publish his observations (or lack thereof) to be doing very meaningful science. He doesn’t even need formal training or a brilliant mind. Did I mention he’s the only autistic scientist I’ve ever met?

As most everyone here knows, I have a poor understanding of science. But I’m pretty sure this nephew of mine will never lecture me or Pauluc on what constitutes science. He’s the most humble, polite, and soft-spoken scientist I’ve ever met.


Gary Gilbert, Spectrum, and Pseudogenes

Sean Pitman: I don’t think you understand the science or rational arguments behind the detection of an artefact as a true artefact. In fact, I don’t think you understand the basis of science in general.

I’m amused by this response. I don’t think you understand the limits of a philosophical argument based on a hypothetical situation, which is all that your convoluted cube story comprises, and nothing more. Whether the artefact is an artefact is immaterial to an argument that is philosophical and does not even consider an actual, bona fide artefact.

Sean Pitman: You argue that such conclusions aren’t “scientific”. If true, you’ve just removed forensic science, anthropology, history in general, and even SETI science from the realm of true fields of scientific study and investigation.

Forensic science, anthropology, and history in general all assume that humans exist and are responsible for the phenomenon examined. Authorities in these disciplines can devise hypotheses to explain the phenomenon they observe and can test them.

SETI assumes there might be non-human life elsewhere in the universe and is nothing more than an expensive fishing expedition. If you think my brother-in-law who loves to fish in the Sea of Cortez is a scientist because he is trying to catch a wee little fish in a big vast sea, then I guess I need to view fishermen in a different light. I thought they were hobbyists.

The search for a granite cube on Mars is nothing more than an exercise in hypotheticals. Call it science if you insist; I don’t see how it is different than a child waiting breathlessly all night beside the fireplace hoping to find Santa coming down the chimney.

I guess the number of science colleagues I acknowledge needs to grow exponentially. I apologize to those I have failed to recognize before as scientists.


Gary Gilbert, Spectrum, and Pseudogenes

Sean Pitman: The observation alone, of the granite cube on an alien planet, informs us that the creator of the cube was intelligent on at least the human level of intelligence – that’s it. You are correct that this observation, alone, would not inform us as to the identity or anything else about the creator beyond the fact that the creator of this particular granite cube was intelligent and deliberate in the creation of the cube.

Your frank admission concedes that the creator of the cube could itself be an evolved being, and therefore you’re back to square one. Thus, your hypothetical argument offers no support for either evolutionism or creationism, and cannot distinguish between them.


Gary Gilbert, Spectrum, and Pseudogenes
I have taken much abuse by pointing out the simple fact that SDAs have specific interpretations of origins that originate from scripture and cannot be supported by science (if science is “potentially falsifiable empirical evidence”). The beliefs include:

o fiat creation by voice command from a supernatural being
o all major life forms created in a 6-day period
o original creation of major life forms approximately 6,000 years ago

None of these can be falsified by experimental evidence, and therefore are accepted on faith.

Sean Pitman’s responses to this are predictably all over the place. They include:

[This] is a request for absolute demonstration. That’s not what science does.” [totally agreed; science can’t examine these beliefs]

The Biblical account of origins can in fact be supported by strong empirical evidence.” [not any of these three major interpretations of Genesis 1]

Does real science require leaps of faith? Absolutely!

I think it’s fair to say from Pitman’s perspective that faith derived from science is laudable, whereas faith derived from scripture–God’s word–is useless.

Don’t fret, Dr. Pitman. I won’t lure you into further pointless discussion. While I am greatly amused by all of this nonsense and deliberation (hardly angry, as you often suggest) for a small handful of largely disinterested readers, I am finished. I won’t be responding to any further remarks or questions.