The Moth Myth - for Ronin

[El_Jibaro]

[b][i]THE MOTH MYTH

NOTHING NATURAL ABOUT THIS SELECTION

The New York Times has finally admitted something that I wrote about three years ago. Alleged evidence that the peppered moth has evolved has been hyped and even fabricated.

A recent article entitled "Staple of Evolutionary Teaching May Not Be Textbook Case" began as follows: "A leading example of evolution given in biology textbooks has come unglued … The case is that of the peppered moth, which [according to textbooks] over … a few decades has changed its wing color from pale-peppered to black and back to peppered again in parallel with the rise and fall of industrial pollution." As tree-trunk coloration changed, the story went on, darker moths and lighter moths gained and lost camouflage, and hungry birds changed their dietary habits.

As the Times reported, "This account became an instant hit with Darwinian advocates … For generations of biologists reared on the peppered moth story as perfect proof of Darwin’s theory, it came as a shock to learn of certain problems the textbooks ignored."

The moths in the famous photo were dead—what the Times calls, "ex-moths, … firmly glued or pinned to their perches" on the trunks of trees. That’s because the live peppered moth hardly ever rests on tree trunks. It hides under twigs in the high canopy of trees. The color of the tree trunks made no difference at all to the moths. Yet the moth myth reigned undisturbed since the 1950s, following publication by Oxford University professor Dr. Bernard Kettlewell.

How have experts reacted to learning that the peppered moth photos were a hoax? University of Chicago evolutionary biologist Dr. Jerry A. Coyne was shocked—comparing it to determining at age six "that it was my father and not Santa who brought the presents on Christmas Eve."

Some claim the photos were honest mistakes and misinterpretations, not a deliberate deception. But Dr. Theodore Sargent of the University of Massachusetts said the experiments placed moths "in an unnatural position, and birds quickly learned they were being served a free lunch in the woods." The artificial situation did not demonstrate natural selection.

Kettlewell is deceased and, therefore, not available for comment, but his son David told author Judith Hooper that Kettlewell’s supervisor pushed and cajoled his students to produce the results he wanted. No one else has reproduced Kettlewell’s results.

The article quotes Dr. Jonathan Wells, author of the book Icons of Evolution, as saying, "Part of my gripe with evolutionary biologists is that they make their case sound so much stronger than it really is, and I would prefer to see a good deal more agnosticism"—a willingness to admit we’re not nearly as sure about macroevolution as many people claim to be.

In February of last year BreakPoint featured Icons of Evolution in which Dr. Wells analyzed peppered moths and other dubious arguments that evolutionists still use.

The New York Times reports renewed research that hopes to resurrect the moths’ credibility. The story concludes with the wish that "the moth men’s continuing efforts may one day get it ready for evolutionary prime time again." Well, we’ll see. Only this time it will require them to do more than glue dead moths on tree trunks.

Further reading and information:

Nicholas Wade, "Staple of Evolutionary Teaching May Not Be Textbook Case," The New York Times, 18 June 2002, F3.

Judith Hooper, Of Moths and Men: An Evolutionary Tale (W. W. Norton, August 2002) ( http://www.wwnorton.com/catalog/spring02/005121.htm ).

Jonathan Wells and Jody F. Sjogren, Icons of Evolution: Science or Myth? Why Much of What We Teach about Evolution Is Wrong ( http://www.parable.com/breakpoint/it...hih=838&bhtz=3 ) (Regnery Publishing, 2002). See especially chapter 7, "Peppered Moths." There is also a follow-up educational video, "Icons of Evolution." ( http://www.pfmonline.net/products.ta...ion=d&IC=VCIOE )

BreakPoint commentary no. 010202, "Shattering False Icons." ( http://www.pfmonline.net/transcripts...=2155&Site=BPT )

Jonathan Wells, "Ten Questions to Ask Your Biology Teacher about Evolution," ( http://www.iconsofevolution.com/tools/questions.php3 ) Icons of Evolution web site, January 2001.

National Center for Science Education, "Responses to Jonathan Wells’s ‘Ten Questions to Ask Your Biology Teacher about Evolution’," ( http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/art...11_28_2001.asp ) 28 November 2001.

Jonathan Wells, "Inherit the Spin: Darwinists Answer ‘Ten Questions’ with Evasions and Falsehoods," ( http://www.discovery.org/viewDB/inde...d=view&id=1106 ) 15 January 2002.

Learn more about evolution, creation, and intelligent design at the Discovery Institute’s web site. The IDEA Center provides great information on intelligent design and evolution for students, faculty, and other interested parties—as well as ideas for starting campus chapters.

[El_Jibaro]

[b][i]It is such a ferocious predator that it even shows up in political cartoons.

[yautiawoman2]

Originally posted by El_Jibaro
[b]
[i]It is such a ferocious predator that it even shows up in political cartoons.

It's the Holy Spirit, stupid.

History may not repeat itself, dijo Mark Twain, but it often rhymes. Remember when the markets fell, historians recalled the dark years of the dust bowl and even those in the mid 70s, the recessions and depressions in Capitalist USA is not just a downturn driven by a sick economy, but by disillusion over everything from W.W.II, Vietnam to Watergate, in those days. This summer there are more than one scandal going around.

So dont try to get people away from the real issues; dont try to meddle with people busy with the stuff that worries the ecologists because, to put it bluntly, my man, "You don't really give a damn!" (la ecologia de Vieques, ni de ningun otro lugar en el planeta te importa un bledo, Jib, pitiyankee entregao!)

Hipocrita, tu eres una niebla, humeda y toxica que pasas por humano; pero sabe Dios de que infierno te sacaron pa
ser escorio de tu pueblo!


La Yautia enfogona!

[El_Jibaro]

[b][i]How do you like it?

At least cursing like the ALCAPURRIA is outside of my domain.

[yautiawoman2]

Originally posted by El_Jibaro
[b][i]How do you like it?

At least cursing like the ALCAPURRIA is outside of my domain.

________________________________________________________

tHAT'S BECAUSE YOU NEVER BEEN PROF. AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY,
TRY ACADEMIA SOMETIME...YOU MAY LIKE THE IVORY TOWERS IN
GRINGOLANDIA, AFTER ALL THEY ARE GREAT AT BACK BITTING AND
DIGS AND INSULTS AS PART OF THEIR EVERY DAY SAD EXISTENCIA.

YAUTIA (Y PA ALCAPURRIAS PA LOS QUE VIENEN DE VIEQUES UHMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!! MEJOR TODAVIA,) YOU BET YOUR BOTTOM BIBI!