Posted by seahunt on September 15, 2004 at 13:44:57:
In Reply to: Abalone Evolution Unravels posted by on September 15, 2004 at 01:23:15:
I usually ignore bad science, but this is an example of the worste kind of science. The researcher reached a conclusion based on their desire and attempted to prove it with science. Just looking at the obscurity of the primary information in the article shows this. But lets look on a bit...
>According to researchers, the abalone and the otter evolved around the same time in California,
Oh really. The mammalian otter evolved at the same time as the mollusc abalone? How curious. I thought there was at least 500,000,000 years between the two. Now the bigger size of the abalone may be a responce that developed for the otter, because abalone lost most of their habitat. That meant that they now had a huge new reproductive constraint on them and had to compete reproductively in their little hidey holes.
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>Thus, instead of having to leave their safety zone and go out in search of food, the abalone are able to stay
in hiding and have the drift-kelp come to them. As a result, the abalone are able to grow freely without
becoming consumed.
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Gimme a break. Let me put that in human terms. Now that the gangs have completely taken over the streets, my family is able to grow freely inside my fortress home. Luckily the water is still running so I don't have to go outside and risk getting killed immediately. I sure feel sorry for the majority of people that have no place to hide and have all been killed. It's true, I evolved for 500 Million years wandering and eating everywhere I wanted to go with no fear of large predators anything like the otter, but now I am much happier hiding and hoping food falls in my hole.
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Never tolerate bad science. It is an offence and abuse of truth! I guess that goes for GW too.
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Enjoy the diving, seahunt