Thanks SoSick for your sincere and open invitation.

Using neutral language we can say that:

[color:"purple"]Biological Process #1 is the change in hereditary traits in populations from generation to generation.[/color]

This process can be measured and documented, it can be observed in all living species and thus is an observed fact, part of the evidence of objective reality.

There are several mechanisms that cause this process to occur, and these include:

[color:"white"]...[/color] 1. genetic mutation,
[color:"white"]......[/color] a. insertions\deletions\inversions during replication
[color:"white"]......[/color] b. point mutations,
[color:"white"]......[/color] c. etc.
[color:"white"]...[/color] 2. epigenetic effects on the development of phenotypes,
[color:"white"]......[/color] a. nutrition effects,
[color:"white"]......[/color] b. chemical effects,
[color:"white"]......[/color] c. climate effects,
[color:"white"]......[/color] d. etc.
[color:"white"]...[/color] 3. various selection processes,
[color:"white"]......[/color] a. sexual selection,
[color:"white"]......[/color] b. ecological selection,
[color:"white"]......[/color] c. intentional selection,
[color:"white"]......[/color] d. survival selection,
[color:"white"]......[/color] e. etc.
[color:"white"]...[/color] 4. neutral trait drift,
[color:"white"]......[/color] a. etc.
[color:"white"]...[/color] 5. etc.

Each of these mechanisms can be tested and observed in various species at various times, but it should be noted that several don't need to be continual mechanisms. Nor is their any "hierarchy" in action of the mechanisms and their relative importance can change (neutral trait drift could be more important during static than rapid periods of change, for instance).

It would be interesting to list all the mechanisms that are involved, but this would be a good topic on it's own, if not needing a thread topic on each mechanism, as we see continued debate about the mechanism of mimicry spanning several threads. It's also a good topic for individual study in depth (say by taking a university course in biology ... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />).

Discussing all the different mechanisms involved in the process should not be necessary to this thread, other than to mention some in passing as necessary, and thus we should be able to start with the most basic process that anyone can validate with their own observations:

[color:"purple"]Biological Process #1 is the change in hereditary traits in populations from generation to generation.[/color]

Creationist say this is just "variation and adaptation within kinds," which they use to describe the process of change in hereditary traits in populations from generation to generation from their hypothetical "original created kinds," with special reference to those that survived the hypothetical world flood event.

Included in the creationist model of biological change ("variation and adaptation within kinds") -- especially following the hypothetical flood event -- is speciation. The definition of species is also covered in an existing open thread - the "Definition of Species" thread - so we don't need to pursue that particular definitional\philosophical\semantic rathole here either. Going back to message 248207:


Speciation is also often seen as the division line between micro-effects and macro-effects in the study of biological life, and so we may want to look at this as another process, with an emphasis on the hereditary relationship (to ensure the creationist position of "within a kind" is included):

[color:"purple"]Biological Process #2 is the division of a 'parent' species into two (or more) 'daughter' species.[/color]

Again there are several known and observed mechanisms involved, each of which could become a new thread. Speciation occurs by:

[color:"white"]...[/color] 1. allopatric mechanisms,
[color:"white"]...[/color] 2. peripatric mechanisms (including "founder effect"),
[color:"white"]...[/color] 3. parapatric mechanisms (including "ring species"),
[color:"white"]...[/color] 4. sympatric mechanisms (including "cryptic species"),
[color:"white"]...[/color] 5. artificially, through animal husbandry or
[color:"white"]...[/color] 6. artificially in laboratory experiments,
[color:"white"]...[/color] 7. etc.

There's a graphic that shows the four basic types of speciation at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Speciation_modes.svg

I think this is enough for discussion to proceed for now:

[color:"purple"]Biological Process #1 is the change in hereditary traits in populations from generation to generation.[/color]

[color:"purple"]Biological Process #2 is the division of a 'parent' species into two (or more) 'daughter' species.[/color]

As has been demonstrated so far, this fits with creationist "variation and adaptation within kinds," and "speciation within the kind" processes, so we should be able to agree on these processes as occurring in modern life, and that there is sufficient evidence for these processes that we can say it is a fact that they occur.

Enjoy.

[color:"green"]Note: my time is limited, so I only choose threads of particular interest to me and I cannot guarantee a reply to all responses (particularly if they do not discuss the issue/s), and I expect other people to do the same. Thank you for your consideration.[/color]