How Evolutionary Theory "Predicts" What It Finds
In Salvo 29, we saw that biology textbooks often overstate the degree of similarity between the earliest stages of vertebrate embryonic development when making the case for common ancestry. Some evolutionary biologists acknowledge that vertebrate embryos begin development very differently, but still claim that embryos pass through a highly similar stage midway through development, called the "pharyngula" (or also the "phylotypic" or "tailbud") stage.
These theorists propose an "hourglass model" of development, where it is claimed that similarities between embryos during this convergent midpoint stage provide evidence for common ancestry (see...
is a scientist and an attorney with a PhD in Geology from the University of Johannesburg and a JD from the University of San Diego. In his day job, he works as Associate Director of the Center for Science and Culture at Discovery Institute, helping to oversee the intelligent design (ID) research program and defending academic freedom for scientists who support intelligent design. Dr. Luskin has written and spoken widely on the scientific mechanics and implications of both intelligent design and evolution. He also volunteers for the "IDEA Center," a non-profit that helps students to start IDEA Clubs on their college and high school campuses. He lives and works in Seattle, Washington, where he and his wife are avid enjoyers of the outdoors.
Get Salvo in your inbox! This article originally appeared in Salvo, Issue #30, Fall 2014 Copyright © 2024 Salvo | www.salvomag.com https://salvomag.com/article/salvo30/heads-or-tales
