Posted by mike mac donald on October 19, 1998 at 18:58:55:
In Reply to: Fruit Flies posted by Coach on May 14, 1998 at 10:20:22:
: : The link I previously provided on this page includes several examples of fruit fly speciation.
: : The problem with using a number like 30,000 generations as evidence against evolution is that the generations haven't been isolated. The flys have been crossing in the meantime. If you'd like to do an experiment that your great, great, great... grandkids can see the results of, isolate a few dozen fruitflies into a half dozen or so populations. Subject them each to different environmental stresses for 30,000 generations. Make sure to never cross them. Your progeny can see the results.
: ---Agreed. Of course, they have been crossed in lab populations, but would that stillnot be a pretty isolated gene pool? I wonder if anyone has ever done a study on it? So you would definitely be of the 'Punctuated Equilibrium' mindset? I think that it is one of the most reasonable theories. It helps speed things up a bit and provides some help for the fossil record too.