A Challenge for Creationists! (I like this word challenge)
Since LittleNipper consistently ignored this question in another thread, I thought I'd give it a whole thread of its own. I'm hoping that some creationist will drop by and give their thoughts.
THE FACTS
Ensatina eschscholtzi is a lungless salamander native to western North America. Its distribution forms a ring around the Great Central Valley of California; the salamanders are not found inside the valley itself.
If we start from the southern end of the valley and follow it north and then south again on the other side, we encounter several subspecies of Ensatina salamanders. These overlap in distribution and interbreed with their neighbours. Furthermore, their appearance shows a gradual increase in the degree and regularity of patterning from simple brownish unpatterned E. e. eschscholzi to bright orange-and-black banded E. e. klauberi.
With the klauberi subspecies we arrive back to our starting point. Klauberi and eschscholzi overlap but do not interbreed, and they look very distinct. They are clearly different species. Yet they are connected by a continuum of more or less transitional forms that are perfectly capable of interbreeding with their neighbours.
THE CHALLENGE
Therefore I ask the creationists who are willing to take up the challenge:
(1) How many species is Ensatina eschscholzi? Why?
(2) If it is more than one, where does the boundary between the species exist?
(3) How do you explain ring species such as Ensatina in terms of creationism? "Goddidit" and "just because" are not sufficient explanations.
Since LittleNipper consistently ignored this question in another thread, I thought I'd give it a whole thread of its own. I'm hoping that some creationist will drop by and give their thoughts.
THE FACTS
Ensatina eschscholtzi is a lungless salamander native to western North America. Its distribution forms a ring around the Great Central Valley of California; the salamanders are not found inside the valley itself.
If we start from the southern end of the valley and follow it north and then south again on the other side, we encounter several subspecies of Ensatina salamanders. These overlap in distribution and interbreed with their neighbours. Furthermore, their appearance shows a gradual increase in the degree and regularity of patterning from simple brownish unpatterned E. e. eschscholzi to bright orange-and-black banded E. e. klauberi.
With the klauberi subspecies we arrive back to our starting point. Klauberi and eschscholzi overlap but do not interbreed, and they look very distinct. They are clearly different species. Yet they are connected by a continuum of more or less transitional forms that are perfectly capable of interbreeding with their neighbours.
THE CHALLENGE
Therefore I ask the creationists who are willing to take up the challenge:
(1) How many species is Ensatina eschscholzi? Why?
(2) If it is more than one, where does the boundary between the species exist?
(3) How do you explain ring species such as Ensatina in terms of creationism? "Goddidit" and "just because" are not sufficient explanations.
