Um, not even close. Convergent evolution is a prediction of evolutionary theory. It isn't something that is tacked on at the end. It is simply a logical consequence of the fact that survival requires organisms to solve many of the same exact problems, and different organisms will, from time to time, stumble upon very similar (but not identical!) solutions.
This is speculative at best. If traits are stumbled on there is no predictability but rather theories to explain what seems to be an anomoly.
Yes, but God can start from scratch. And any intelligent designer would start over from scratch when it made more sense than modifying an existing design. Any intelligent designer would also not be shy about re-using old designs.
I am not following this line. We cannot presume to know what God would or would not do. The thing is though that if life was not based on the same design we may not be able to assimilate nitrition from meat or vegetables. My guess would be this is why God had to use basic genetic similarities in all life.
But evolution can't do this. It can't start from scratch, as every species carries with it the properties of its ancestors. It also can't share designs between species unless those species descended from the same ancestor who had that design.
But the assumption of convergent evolution seems to contradict you.
The reason why the similarities we see are evidence for evolution is not simply the fact that there are similarities, but it is because the pattern of similarities is limited to only those similarities permitted by evolution.
The fact that a theory, in this case evolution, can be saved from refutation by proposing wildly speculative and unfalsifiable scenarios does not mean that theory holds merit.
Chalnoth, can you truly say convergent similarities are those only permitted by evolution. Where did you get that from? Evolutionists can only speak to this in hindsight, there is no predictablilty.
When the drosophila research showed changes to Hox genes could produce a fruitfly with an extra set of functionless wings it was demonstated that there is more to evolution than this simple tinkering.
Wings are a good example. We hear all the debate and assertions as to whether or not a half wing would be usefull and would be selected. There are many assertions around this.
For me the fruitfly research demonstrates that mutations are not going to change one kind into another kind. Rather, the opposite is what I take away from this research. What this demonstrates is limits to variation as seen in this ecoli research below.
Speed Limit To The Pace Of Evolution, Biologists Say
I also post this research below as an example of the lack of information really known about the sort of changes required to bring about macroevolution.
"Robustness is a measure of how genetic mutations affect an organism's phenotype, or the set of physical traits, behaviors and features shaped by evolution. It would seem to be the opposite of evolvability, preventing a population from adapting to environmental change. In a robust individual, mutations are mostly neutral, meaning they have little effect on the phenotype. Since adaptation requires mutations with beneficial phenotypic effects, robust populations seem to be at a disadvantage. The Penn-led research team has demonstrated that this intuition is sometimes wrong."
How organisms can tolerate mutations, yet adapt to environmental change
This research shows scientists are unclear about much. Adapting to climatic conditions is a long way away from a dinosaur sprouting wings, which BTW is also being challenged.
Bird-from-dinosaur theory of evolution challenged: Was it the other way around?
For me it is not about which evolutionist is wright or wrong. It is about speculation not being evidence.
Can you see at least, that the drosophila research may lead a creationists to actually see that macroevolution is impossible. The beginning of a wing structure was not produced, it was not the beginning of a macrochange, it was a deleterious mutation that would have been deleted from the gene pool. It is testimony to the irreducable complexity of systems within kinds.
So to propose wildly speculative scenarios that are also unfalsifiable is a curious way to provide 'facts' don't you think?