Kathy refuses to accept evolution, because
a. she’s ignorant and uneducated
b. she believes all existing life on earth was blinked into existence in a garden in Iraq, and
c. we have so far been able to show her a crocoduck.
I’ll try to help with the first, and thus remove her excuse, but there’s little I can do about the last two.
The earliest known ancestor of the giraffe was an extinct family of ruminants, known as Palaeomerycidae (above), that lived about 9 million years ago (that would be 8,994,000 years before the Creation, Kathy –).
The giraffe is a highly-evolved species that live on vegetation, and have developed a special fondness for the leaves of the acacia tree. The first of their kind had relatively short necks, much like Palaeomerycidae, but climate researchers have learned that beginning about 8 million years ago, the dense forests that once covered all of Africa, began to thin on the continents outer extremities, concentrating largely on the interior, such as Congo and Ruwanda, for example. Africa has always been prone to dramatic weather changes, resulting in years of plentiful rainfall and long periods of drought. During wet periods, the giraffe all thrived, but as years of drought occurred, only those with necks long enough to reach higher on trees were able to survive and pass on their genes, including whatever mutated gene was responsible for the longer neck. Some researchers have hypothesized that this new habitat, coupled with a different diet, including Acacia, may have exposed giraffe ancestors to toxins that caused higher mutation rates and a higher rate of evolution.
Giraffes have only one living relative, the Okapi (pictured with its cousin, above), which, as can easily be seen, more closely resembles its ancient ancestor, Palaeomerycidae, and shares with it, a much shorter neck than it’s cousin. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the shorter-necked Okapi lives deep into Africa’s heavily timbered Congo rainforest, where both moisture and vegetation is plentiful, thus longer necks have no bearing on survival.
However, there are 9 species of giraffe – 9 groups of giraffe that have distinct differences from all other giraffe – evidence that the giraffe is still evolving.
Oh, Nan, Nan, Nan, Nan, Nan – I KNOW that can’t be a not-so-thinly-veiled reference to ME! For me to perform such a dastardly deed would involve giving up my hard-earned reputation as Mr. Sweetness and Light —
Finding Truth 
Kathy has not answered my question either. I think it’s a legitimate question, too.
Kathy, have you ever legitimately brought someone to Christ? If so, how did you do it? You can trust me, I’m a therapist…
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LOL — no doubt you will. He may be ancient but his ability to spot prey is keen.
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Paul, just came across this title and thought you might be interested:
Religions and Extraterrestrial Life: How Will We Deal With It?
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Yes, Neuro, read it last week.
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“Now I’ll probably get razzed by someone who goes by the name of some extinct bird.”
Say what?
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Kathy refuses to accept evolution, because
a. she’s ignorant and uneducated
b. she believes all existing life on earth was blinked into existence in a garden in Iraq, and
c. we have so far been able to show her a crocoduck.
I’ll try to help with the first, and thus remove her excuse, but there’s little I can do about the last two.
The earliest known ancestor of the giraffe was an extinct family of ruminants, known as Palaeomerycidae (above), that lived about 9 million years ago (that would be 8,994,000 years before the Creation, Kathy –).
The giraffe is a highly-evolved species that live on vegetation, and have developed a special fondness for the leaves of the acacia tree. The first of their kind had relatively short necks, much like Palaeomerycidae, but climate researchers have learned that beginning about 8 million years ago, the dense forests that once covered all of Africa, began to thin on the continents outer extremities, concentrating largely on the interior, such as Congo and Ruwanda, for example. Africa has always been prone to dramatic weather changes, resulting in years of plentiful rainfall and long periods of drought. During wet periods, the giraffe all thrived, but as years of drought occurred, only those with necks long enough to reach higher on trees were able to survive and pass on their genes, including whatever mutated gene was responsible for the longer neck. Some researchers have hypothesized that this new habitat, coupled with a different diet, including Acacia, may have exposed giraffe ancestors to toxins that caused higher mutation rates and a higher rate of evolution.
Giraffes have only one living relative, the Okapi (pictured with its cousin, above), which, as can easily be seen, more closely resembles its ancient ancestor, Palaeomerycidae, and shares with it, a much shorter neck than it’s cousin. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the shorter-necked Okapi lives deep into Africa’s heavily timbered Congo rainforest, where both moisture and vegetation is plentiful, thus longer necks have no bearing on survival.
However, there are 9 species of giraffe – 9 groups of giraffe that have distinct differences from all other giraffe – evidence that the giraffe is still evolving.
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Sorry, meant “unable to show her a crocoduck.”
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Oh, Nan, Nan, Nan, Nan, Nan – I KNOW that can’t be a not-so-thinly-veiled reference to ME! For me to perform such a dastardly deed would involve giving up my hard-earned reputation as Mr. Sweetness and Light —
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Oh ancient one, aren’t you perceptive.
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And misguided ,,.
(Sweetness & Light????)
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You are CONSTANTLY full of surprises – just when I think you intended discounting my honorary title, instead pay me a compliment, how sweet!
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That was funny, Archie poo.
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THERE it is —
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Well at least it’s no longer “Achie poo”
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Gotta love those Freudian slips.
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I’d heard he used to wear one —
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So I was right again! Don’t you get tired of that?
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No — I think your smart-ass ways are spicy good.
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Verse of the day..
“Isaiah 55:6
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”
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Just for movie fans! I think you’ll get a kick out of this web page.
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Arch… it’s still a giraffe..
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OK Kathy, I’ll do that … once he’s “found.” So far, haven’t seen hide nor hair of him.
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Gotta take your mental / emotional blinders off Nan.. and before it’s too late.
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Verse of the day..
Isaiah 45:7
“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.”
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