Re: Evolution

Why I am not inclined to present evidence for evolution?

Because the evidence does not matter to creationist. If it did, then all would be, at least tentatively, evolutiontist. The hurdle to evolution does not lie on the the evidence. The problem is one of religious orthodoxy and and it is very difficult for a person to acknowledge that a lifetime of beliefs was wrong. Creatitionist/IDist reject evolution not for cerebral reasons but for emotional ones. So no amount of fact will ever change that.

SS is clear example of this rejection for 'moral' reasons rather than intellectual ones. He then tries to mask this discomfort with evolution by claiming an objection to the evidence. But that it not the impetus for his position. His position is a religious/emotional one. No amount of evidence will ever change that.

all the actions of living organisms are an integral result of the DNA molecule and thus pre-ordained when that molecule is formed and before it begins life

This is wrong SS. Animals are not blank slates that are slave to their genetic inheritance. Environment affects both the physiology and the genetic potential of an animal. So your objection to sexual selection is false.

In recent years there has been a move across animal labs in what is called enviromental enrichment. This is done because it rodents show improved learning, memory and less anxiety like behaviours. "Access to envronmental enrichment alters behavior and learning in rodents" [Lab Animal V35N6 p8]. The environment can also affect the amount of neurogenesis and this too alters behaviour. And some animals show skewed sexual preference depending on how they are raised.

In order to get a good tracking dog, it does not just require training it requires imprinting. This imprinting to scent/scent discrimination and tracking must be done during the early stages of the dog's life. If this important period is missed, a good tracking dog will be extremely very hard to produce. A non imprinted dog will have all the olfactory faculties as its imprinted littermate. Without imprinting the behavioural framework is just not there.

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