I looked up some of Grismer’s papers and he is not publishing on “complex life forms evolving from simpler life forms over millions of years” as much as you might like to believe,. Looking at the titles of his papers makes that clear enough but I even clicked on some abstracts.

Irregardless of what he may believe his papers seem to deal only with biogeography and systematics within single groups of amphibians and reptiles. There is not one reason for Adventists to object to using DNA sequences to identify patterns of speciation. There is no conflict with the church’s teachings on a six-day creation.

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@Sean Pitman, M.D.:

What it argues for, and what Grismer clearly believes, is the idea that all life is related through process of common descent by innumerable tiny modifications from a common ancestor life form – a process that required hundreds of millions of years of time.

Hence the care Grismer takes in only commenting on “closest relative” without further specifying his bigger vision for complex life forms evolving from simpler life forms over millions of years.

Certainly every animal (yes even a labradoodle) is going to have a “closest relative”.

in Christ,

Bob

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David Kendall, BMus, MA says:

Hi Shane,

I am not sure you can make a strong connection between the statement in the excerpt and common ancestry. DNA research does point to varying degrees of relatedness among species. This does not have to conflict with a recent six day creation, though some may make the argument that it must.

What it argues for, and what Grismer clearly believes, is the idea that all life is related through process of common descent by innumerable tiny modifications from a common ancestor life form – a process that required hundreds of millions of years of time.

This notion strikes directly at the concept of the relatedness of all life because of its source in a common Designer of all the basic “kinds” of life on this planet, produced during a literal 6-day creation week in recent history.

Sean Pitman
http://www.DetectingDesign.com

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The third thing I noticed was this small mention of common ancestry in the excerpt from below. At least that is what it sounded like to me. Am I wrong?

Hi Shane,

I am not sure you can make a strong connection between the statement in the excerpt and common ancestry. DNA research does point to varying degrees of relatedness among species. This does not have to conflict with a recent six day creation, though some may make the argument that it must.

Pax,

David Kendall
Adjunct Professor of Music
La Sierra University

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The students’ first assignments with the equipment will involve genetic analysis of Grismer’s animals to detect the creatures’ ties to other species and populations.

“Through its DNA, we will find its closest relative,” Grismer said. Uncovering such information can help scientists better understand planet Earth, he said.

At least the faculty are open about it. Now if we could just get the administration to be as open as their faculty.

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La Sierra biology students will begin analyzing Grismer’s newly discovered pit viper and gecko this spring when they fire up new DNA sequencing equipment. The university purchased the equipment last fall with the help of two grants obtained by La Sierra biology Professor Lee Greer.

The students’ first assignments with the equipment will involve genetic analysis of Grismer’s animals to detect the creatures’ ties to other species and populations.

“Through its DNA, we will find its closest relative,” Grismer said. Uncovering such information can help scientists better understand planet Earth, he said.

The arrival of the LI-COR 4300 DNA Analyzer and a number crunching, snail-shaped super computer means Grismer can study the genetics of his new species on campus. Previously he shipped tissue samples to the labs of colleagues and friends.

“We’ve never had DNA sequencing at La Sierra,” Grismer said. “We’re going to make some serious inroads.”

Grismer estimates use of the sequencing equipment will push the university’s production of scientific papers from an average of 13 papers a year to approximately 20. “These projects will terminate in top-tier, peer-reviewed journals,” such as Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution, Systematic Biology and the Journal of Herpetology, Grismer said.

The availability of such high-tech apparatus may also mean additional treks into the wild to find more animals. “Oh yeah,” said Grismer. “This is what I live for.” (http://www.lasierra.edu/news/2008/march/grismer.html)

LSU, in my opinion, is not going to let these professors go. This is going to be a very difficult battle for the church if they ever choose to confront LSU head on.

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Are LSU professors breaking the 8th commandment?

And are they worshipping false gods? I’ve heard them praise Darwinian evolution but certainly haven’t heard that they’re doing any meaningful scientific research. Didn’t God once characterize His people by saying that they would be a tail and not the head?

This week’s Nova broadcast on PBS presented some recent interesting advances in genetics relating to devolution. See What Darwin Never Knew. It was suggested that the ancestors of all modern-day snakes might have had legs and the proof of it might be present in snake DNA. Apparently, there is a lot of research going on that proves that many animals once had anatomical features no longer present because certain genes were turned off but that these species still have those genes. So why aren’t Adventist geneticists using these same techniques to prove that snakes once had wings?

Eugene Shubert
http://www.everythingimportant.org/devolution

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