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Mutant Gene Responsible for Speech?
An anonymous submitter writes: "A new study published in Nature reports that humans developed speech and language 200,000 years ago as a result of gene mutation. Washington Post story with more background. The mutation in the FOXP2 gene allowed humans greater control over their mouth and throat muscles, and gave them the ability to produce new sounds. It was apparently such an advantageous mutation that it quickly swept through the human population (10,000 - 20,000 years) almost entirely wiping out earlier versions. This development seems to also match up closely with the time period humans began developing culture. Researchers next want to try altering the gene in mice to see what happens, although they suspect there are many other genes involved. So, how long until I can get a talking dog?"
If you gave specific examples of erroneous data or conclusions, I'd be interested
The whole book is erroneous. It's blantly obvious that evolution happens, no intelligent creationist denies that. To deny that evoultion exists is to deny that the last two thousand years of selective breeding in agriculture and livestock had any effect at all, which is obviously irrational.
They don't argue that spontaneous speciation doesn't happen, they deny evolution in general.
To satisy your Christian mind, however, I will quote parts of the book and make my arguement more specific.
The book is "Earth Science for Christian Schools"
The theme basically is to discredit science. It was written in 1979.
Quotes
"Erosion is wearing away the continents -- an example of degeneration in nature"
"Even the most powerful electron microscope are unable to let us see the inside of an atom. What scientist would pass up an opportunity to look inside a neutron or electron? However there is presently no way to see these things, and many doubt there ever will be"
"Through a rapid series of miracles, God created a mature, fully-functioning earth ready for man's use."
"The probability that the world happened by chance is less than the probability of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary forming from an explosion of a print shop"
"Evolution did not develop from modern science. Evolutionary philosophy can be traced back to the Greeks of the Sixth Century"
"Comets break up to form meteors, an example of degeneration in nature"
"A store that loses money to some of it's customers and breaks even on the rest can never nake a profit. Similarly natural processes of conservation and degeneration cannot combine to produce an improvement"
The next interesting section is on Geology.
They basically attempt to assert that the Creation, the Curse, and the Flood happened, and provide "evidence" as such. They point to the existance of "Fossil Graveyards" as proof of the Flood. They also attempt to discredit all methods of dating ancient materials. They admit their science isn't science with one like that sums up the whole book:
"The Bible is the source of truth for Christians"
They start with what the Bible says and then they shape their "science" to fit it. This is not science.
I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.