Wasp-like bee found

[Dragar]

A fossil showing a bee with very wasp-like features has been found, encased in amber.

Evolutionary theory predicts this. It predicts that we'll find fossils which share traits of two animals that share a common ancestor. This is just another transitional fossil amid the many already found, fully in line with the predictions of evolutionary theory.

Creationism does not predict this. In fact, a successful theory of special creation/intelligent design would have to be put together specifically to reproduce the predictions of evolutionary theory, for purely pre-meditated reasons. That isn't science; that's poor justification of a religious idea, and we should have no confidence in the truth of such a theory.

 

[MrGoodBytes]

A fossil showing a bee with very wasp-like features has been found, encased in amber.

yet another desperate attempt to revive the corpse of neodarwinism by means of "transitional fossils". pathetic.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.[/FONT]

 

[Dragar]

You know, if you didn't have that atheist icon, we'd be quoting Poe's Law about now.

 

[MrGoodBytes]

You know, if you didn't have that atheist icon, we'd be quoting Poe's Law about now.

I'm doing AV1611's work for him, because I'm a nice guy and want to make my fellow men's lives easier.

 

[dad]

A fossil showing a bee with very wasp-like features has been found, encased in amber.

Evolutionary theory predicts this. It predicts that we'll find fossils which share traits of two animals that share a common ancestor. This is just another transitional fossil amid the many already found, fully in line with the predictions of evolutionary theory.

Creationism does not predict this. In fact, a successful theory of special creation/intelligent design would have to be put together specifically to reproduce the predictions of evolutionary theory, for purely pre-meditated reasons. That isn't science; that's poor justification of a religious idea, and we should have no confidence in the truth of such a theory.

Piece of cake. All things started out as a kind. Maybe this is close to the first bee kind. No probs.

 

[Ondoher]

Piece of cake. All things started out as a kind. Maybe this is close to the first bee kind. No probs.

which is closest to the original ape kind, humans or orangutans?

 

[Dragar]

Whichever one produces predictions that match evolutionary theory!

 

[dad]

which is closest to the original ape kind, humans or orangutans?

We might consider that thre was more than the one kind!!

 

[Split Rock]

Piece of cake. All things started out as a kind. Maybe this is close to the first bee kind. No probs.

How do you know it wasn't a member of the Wasp Kind? Was there a Bee-Wasp Kind? How can we tell?

 

[NASAg03]

the yahoo article i read states that this isn't a transitional fossil. it's an evolutionary dead end. a branch that goes nowhere.

evolution didn't predict this fossil.

 

[Chalnoth]

the yahoo article i read states that this isn't a transitional fossil. it's an evolutionary dead end. a branch that goes nowhere.

evolution didn't predict this fossil.

Er, evolution predicts that the majority of the fossils we dig up will be evolutionary dead ends. But they can still give us new information because they will be closer to the common ancestor of a set of species alive today than any currently-living species.

 

[dad]

How do you know it wasn't a member of the Wasp Kind? Was there a Bee-Wasp Kind? How can we tell?

Well, if we haven't determined whether there was just the one kind, or wasps and bees, don't sweat it. Doesn't matter either way.

 

[NASAg03]

Er, evolution predicts that the majority of the fossils we dig up will be evolutionary dead ends. But they can still give us new information because they will be closer to the common ancestor of a set of species alive today than any currently-living species.

right, but the OP stated evolution predicted this transitional fossil. it didn't.

 

[Tomk80]

right, but the OP stated evolution predicted this transitional fossil. it didn't.

This specifically? No. But since wasps and bees are cladistically closely related the theory of evolution does (and did) predict that we would find more primitive creatures that have the primitive characteristics of both of these groups, or organisms close in that neighbourhood. This is one of those close creatures that shares a common ancestor with both bees and wasps a little further back.

 

[Hydra009]

the yahoo article i read states that this isn't a transitional fossil. it's an evolutionary dead end. a branch that goes nowhere.

You mean this article? The one that says "This is the oldest known bee we've ever been able to identify, and it shares some of the features of wasps," said lead author George Poinar, a researcher from Oregon State University. "But overall it's more bee than wasp, and gives us a pretty good idea of when these two types of insects were separating on their evolutionary paths."

FYI - "A transitional fossil is the fossil remains of a creature that exhibits certain primitive (or basal) traits in comparison with its more derived descendants." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitional_fossil

 

[Ondoher]

We might consider that thre was more than the one kind!!

Not if we examine the evidence. Humans are more similar to chimpanzees than either are to gorillas or orangutans.

 

[Ondoher]

the yahoo article i read states that this isn't a transitional fossil. it's an evolutionary dead end. a branch that goes nowhere.

evolution didn't predict this fossil.

That's a nonsequitur. Since when does transitional mean ancestral?

 

[Ondoher]

"A transitional fossil is the fossil remains of a creature that exhibits certain primitive (or basal) traits in comparison with its more derived descendants." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitional_fossil

I like this definition. Since you stole it, I assume you won't mind if I keep it.

 

[MrGoodBytes]

Just a question: how can this be an evolutionary dead end, when both bees and wasps are contemporary animals?

 

[Assyrian]

Did evolution predicted this strange creature?
Creationism? Could a wasp ever bee kind?
No Monty Python got there first.

It's Eric the Half a Bee.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFpPa-FG9o0

Fiddle de dum, Fiddle de dee,
Eric the half a bee.
Ho ho ho, tee hee hee,
Eric the half a bee.