Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site opus.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!hou3c!hocda!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!hao!cires!nbires!opus!rcd From: rcd@opus.UUCP (Dick Dunn) Newsgroups: net.origins Subject: Re: Kinds Message-ID: <816@opus.UUCP> Date: Tue, 25-Sep-84 02:47:11 EDT Article-I.D.: opus.816 Posted: Tue Sep 25 02:47:11 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 25-Sep-84 05:34:06 EDT References: <286@uwmacc.UUCP> Organization: NBI, Boulder Lines: 34 > >I would love to see a succinct, testable definition of "major kinds of plants > >and animals". > > "We must here define what we mean by a basic kind. A basic > animal or plant kind would include all animal or plants which > were truly derived from a single stock. In present-day terms, > it would be said that they have shared a common gene pool. >...[explanation that basic kind might occur at a level which, according to conventional taxonomy, is species in one case; genus in another--illustrates difference between "kind" and "species"]... > "In the above discussion, we have defined a basic kind as > including all of those variants which have been derived > from a single stock." > --- > Note that creationists do not deny variability that takes > place within what is above defined as a kind. What is denied > is that two kinds have a common ancestor... In effect, then, I see two salient characteristics of "kind": - the term means whatever it must mean--I'm referring to the idea that "kind" refers to all animals plants derived from a single stock. What is a single stock? Well, gee, it's what makes up a "kind". Stated differently, circular definition: see definition, circular . . . definition, circular: see...(oh come on, you can guess it:-) - the term is defined so as to exclude evolution a priori, as a consequence of the definition. One could not use arguments and evidence for evolution to argue against this taxonomic scheme, because it rejects an evolutionary explanation by definition-- "what is denied is that two kinds have a common ancestor..." -- Dick Dunn {hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd (303)444-5710 x3086 ...Never offend with style when you can offend with substance.