Improved evolution hypothesis resolves fossil record

William Atkins
Sunday, 05 April 2009 19:18

Science - Biology

They say their new hypothesis agrees with fossil records that show long and intermittent periods where species did not evolve appreciably.

In fact, Oliver is paraphrased in the article to have said, “… the hypothesis argued that significant evolution could not take place without the activity of TEs.”

The Murdoch article provides two examples of species with little or no change for millions of years.

^{[NOTE: Updated spelling of Murdoch, and removed "extinct" from description of the two examples.]}

The coelacanth, a type of fish, sometimes called the "dinofish" that has been extinct for 63 million years from the coastal areas of South Africa and Indonesia, had a 400-million-year period in which it did not evolve because it had inactive or low levels of TEs.

In the other example, the tuatara, a reptile, from the coast of New Zealand, was unchanged for 220 million years because it lacked TEs.

Oliver directly states, “Although we are standing on the shoulders of others that have worked on TEs, we believe this is the strongest and most co mprehensive case ever put forward on the role of TEs in evolution.” [Murdoch University]

Oliver declares, “If our theory proves correct it would be one of the biggest advances in evolution since the 1930s when Darwinism and Mendelism were reconciled in NeoDarwinism.”

Please read the Murdoch University article “Shaking up the theory of evolution ” for additional details on their work for the advancement of the theory of evolution first proposed by Charles Darwin 150 years ago this year in the publication “On the Origin of the Species.”