Polyploidy, why does it matter

[Jerry Smith]

Rufus or anyone else will ever address this issue directly and in plain language so that it comes from someone who is considered qualified,

Tell us exactly what issue it is you would like to have addressed, & if any of us can address it we will do our best... If you are wanting us to explain why you want to exclude transitionals that have polyploid events in their history, then you are going to have to do that yourself, because it is clear that you are the only one who knows the answer to that question.

 

[Morat]

I'm guessing Nick saw a site that mentioned that most plant speciation events were polyploid events. So he figures, let's get rid of those.

So he adds it in, never realizing what a ludicrous request (and what it says about his level of knowledge) it becomes when applied to fossils.

He obviously chose invertrebrate and plant evolution because, in the CvE debate, most people don't care. So all the online sites focus on vertebrate transitionals, because more people are familiar with vertebrates than anything else.

Basically, Nick knows what he really wants (a good transitional series) exists. He knows that vertebrate ones are well documented online. He knows that anyone reading will watch his "objections" and giggle to themselves. So he goes to the invertebrates (harder to find online), and then adds in a few other things to help him dismiss anything anyone provides.

Which, of course, means Nick's somewhat deceptive.

 

[npetreley]

Originally posted by Morat
I'm guessing Nick saw a site that mentioned that most plant speciation events were polyploid events. So he figures, let's get rid of those.

If that were my motivation, why would I offer to eventually give examples of transitionals in polyploids?

 

[Jerry Smith]

Rufus or anyone else will ever address this issue directly and in plain language so that it comes from someone who is considered qualified,

Tell us exactly what issue it is you would like to have addressed, & if any of us can address it we will do our best... If you are wanting us to explain why you want to exclude transitionals that have polyploid events in their history, then you are going to have to do that yourself, because it is clear that you are the only one who knows the answer to that question.

 

[Morat]

If that were my motivation, why would I offer to eventually give examples of transitionals in polyploids?

I can think of several reasons.

1) You don't plan to.
2) You'll claim they're microevolution.
3) You've confused polyploidy with polystrate fossils.
4) You don't know what polyploids are, have no idea how to tell if a given fossil is one, and plan to insist they make the fossil useless, sterile, or some other nonsense and use it to discard the fossil in question.

Hmm. Four of the top of my head. I'm really going with number 1, because you've never, to date, supported your words.

So, how do you tell if a fossil is polyploid or not, Nick?"

It's a simple question. I don't think anyone is fooled by your desperate thrashing around. Answer it.

 

[choccy]

I might be way off base here, but do I smell a no-new-information argument coming up eventually with respect to polyploids?

Choccy

 

[Jerry Smith]

I don't know what it is we are smelling, but so far, it is malodorous.

 

[Jerry Smith]

Rufus or anyone else will ever address this issue directly and in plain language so that it comes from someone who is considered qualified,

Tell us exactly what issue it is you would like to have addressed, & if any of us can address it we will do our best... If you are wanting us to explain why you want to exclude transitionals that have polyploid events in their history, then you are going to have to do that yourself, because it is clear that you are the only one who knows the answer to that question.

....

uh.. hello?

 

[seebs]

I still don't know what a polyploid is. Nick, at least you can take a few minutes out of your busy schedule to tell me what it is, and why a transitional series of plants shouldn't include any.