Tag: genetics

Somalia giraffe goes over a green lush meadow

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post

Author
Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig

Date
February 25, 2026

Tagged
, Darwinism, Evolution, genetics, giraffe, giraffe evolution, giraffe neck, Intelligent Design, irreducible complexity, Materialism, missing link, mosaic form, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, Samotherium major, transitional fossils, Wolf-Ekkehard Loonig}

Long Necks and Tall Tales: Why Samotherium Isn’t Missing Link

_{Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig
February 25, 2026

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How did the giraffe get its long neck? It sounds like the beginning of a children’s bedtime story, and it certainly has been that. But it’s also a matter of serious scientific debate, and the debate continues today. On this installment of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his two-part discussion correcting claims of giraffe evolution with retired geneticist Dr. Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig. In Part 2, Dr. Lönnig challenges the prevailing narrative that the fossil Samotherium major serves as a transitional "missing link" in giraffe evolution. Lönnig argues that this evolutionary interpretation is contradicted by the facts. Instead, he identifies Samotherium as a "mosaic form," an organism possessing a combination of fully developed and basic traits that do not unequivocally connect it to the modern long-necked giraffe. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›

The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest of all extant land-living animal species, and the largest ruminant.

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Author
Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig

Date
February 23, 2026

Tagged
, Charles Darwin, Darwinism, Evolution, Evolution of the Long-Necked Giraffe, Fossil Record, genetics, giraffe, gradualism, Intelligent Design, Materialism, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, Samotherium major, stasis, The Neck of the Giraffe, Wolf-Ekkehard Loonig}

On the Origin of “Tall Blondes”: Correcting the Record on Giraffe Evolution

_{Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig
February 23, 2026

Uncategorized

3}

We’ve all admired the long, majestic neck of the giraffe, and the question remains: how did the giraffe get its long neck? Is it a product of an evolutionary process? Or was a process of foresight and purpose involved? Helping us unpack this today is retired geneticist Dr. Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig, who challenges the traditional narrative of giraffe evolution, noting a sharp disconnect between Darwinian predictions and the actual fossil record. While neo-Darwinism, by default, expects a gradual, step-by-step progression of slight variations leading to the modern giraffe, the geological evidence tells a different story. Learn how the twin problems of stasis in the fossil record and silos in the development of giraffes pose major problems for the standard just-so story of giraffes. Read More ›

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Author
David Coppedge

Date
September 10, 2025

Tagged
, Alexander Oparin, Charles Darwin, chemical evolution, Darwinism, David Coppedge, Evolution, genetic switch, genetics, Harold Urey, Intelligent Design, Junk DNA, macroevolution, Materialism, melanism, microRNA, Miller-Urey, Miller-Urey experiment, mutations, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, non-coding DNA, peppered moths, polymorphism, regulatory switch, Science journal, Stanley Miller}

Evolution’s Stubborn Icons: Peppered Moths and Miller-Urey Still Shambling Along

_{David Coppedge
September 10, 2025

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3}

By now, you might think that the icons of evolution that Dr. Jonathan Wells wrote about 24 years ago have been put out of our misery. And indeed, much has changed, and these icons have even less ground to stand on than they did back then. But they don’t call them icons for nothing! Whatever else they are, they’re stubborn, and it’s not uncommon to see evidence of them still popping up in popular science articles, cartoons, movies, and even scientific journals. On this episode of ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes back freelance science reporter David Coppedge to give us a few recent examples of the icons of evolution that keep shambling along, including recent sightings of the peppered moth myth and the Miller-Urey experiments. Read More ›

Medical doctor or physician staff in white gown uniform with stethoscope in hospital or clinic service, healthcare concept.

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Author
Stephen Iacoboni

Date
July 16, 2025

Tagged
, Aristotle, cancer, Darwinism, doctor, Evolution, Evolutionary Biology, genetics, genomics, Intelligent Design, intentionality, irreducible complexity, Materialism, materialistic science, mechanistic view, medical school, medicine, mobile genetic elements, Neo-Darwinism, purpose, Science, Science and faith, scientific atheism, Stephen Iacoboni, Stuart Kauffman, teleology, telos, theoretical biology, Thomistic philosophy}

A Tale of Two Doctors: Finding Purpose in Medicine and Science

_{Stephen Iacoboni
July 16, 2025

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3}

On this episode, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes Dr. Stephen Iacoboni, an award-winning cancer researcher and medical oncologist with 40 years of experience, to discuss the undeniable element of purpose in all living things. The conversation dives deep into the question of whether this purpose can be explained purely by the physical world, or if it points to a source beyond nature and science. Dr. Iacoboni shares his unique reconciliation between faith and science, as explored in his latest book, Telos: The Scientific Basis for a Life of Purpose. He recounts his personal journey and profound divergence from the "mechanistic consensus" prevalent during his medical school years in the 1960s and 70s, which viewed organisms, including humans, as "biologic machines without souls, products of an unguided process." Read More ›

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Author
Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig

Date
May 7, 2025

Tagged
, Darwinism, engineering, engineering principles, Evolution, Fossil Record, geneticist, genetics, giant panda, Intelligent Design, Materialism, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, optimal design, optimal panda principle, panda, Panda’s thumb, Stephen Jay Gould, Wolf-Ekkehard Loonig}

More Than a Thumb: Integrated Design in the Giant Panda

_{Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig
May 7, 2025

Uncategorized

2}

Is the famous “panda’s thumb” evidence of unguided evolutionary processes, or is it a masterpiece of engineering and the result of intelligent design? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his conversation with retired geneticist, Dr. Wolf-Eckehard Lönnig, an intelligent design pioneer who has been offering robust criticism of Darwinian theory and advocating for intelligent design for over 50 years. The topic is Dr. Lönnig's new paper reviewing the debate over the panda’s thumb. Giant pandas have an extra digit, an elongated wrist bone, that aids the animal in walking and manipulating bamboo with great dexterity. Some claim it's a clumsy structure produced by evolutionary processes. It wouldn't win any design awards, but it gets the job done. Others call it one of the most extraordinary manipulation systems in the mammalian world and clear evidence of purposeful engineering. So which is it? Dr. Lönnig helps us answer that question. This is Part 2 of a two-part conversation. Read More ›

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post

Author
Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig

Date
May 5, 2025

Tagged
, Charles Darwin, Convergent evolution, Darwinism, engineering, Evolution, Evolutionary Biology, geneticist, genetics, Intelligent Design, Materialism, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, optimal design, optimal panda principle, paleontology, panda principle, Panda’s thumb, principles of engineering, Stephen J. Gould, Stuart Burgess, systems biology, systems engineering}

Evolved or Engineered? A Geneticist Evaluates the Panda’s Thumb

_{Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig
May 5, 2025

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2}

In 1980, influential paleontologist and evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould wrote that “we can know that evolution has happened by the imperfections and oddities that life shows.” But is that true? And what if we take a closer look at those assumed evolutionary oddities and see instead evidence of engineered elegance? On this ID The Future, host Andrew McDiarmid welcomes retired geneticist Dr. Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig to the podcast to discuss his new paper reviewing the debate over the panda’s thumb. Giant pandas have an elongated wrist bone, the radial sesamoid, that allows them to handle and eat bamboo with great dexterity. Some claim it’s an imperfectly and inefficiently formed structure that is clear evidence of evolutionary processes at work. Others Read More ›

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Author
David Klinghoffer

Date
April 28, 2025

Tagged
, Darwinism, David Klinghoffer, DNA, DNA code, epigenetics, Evolution, genetic revolution, genetics, genome, immaterial genome, Intelligent Design, intelligent design in real time, Materialism, molecular biology, Plato, Plato's Revenge, Richard Sternberg, Timaeus}

Plato’s Revenge: An Interview with David Klinghoffer

_{David Klinghoffer
April 28, 2025

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You're likely familiar with the genetic revolution — the discovery that physical structures in the cell, including DNA and RNA, shape every organism. But we are now overdue for another and more profound revolution in science, one you've likely heard very little about. Recent findings reveal that genetic and even epigenetic sources alone cannot account for the rich dynamism of life — not even close. Some other informational source is required. On this ID The Future, science writer and Discovery Institute Senior Fellow David Klinghoffer speaks with host Andrew McDiarmid about his new book Plato's Revenge: The New Science of the Immaterial Genome. It's a little book about a very big idea. It also tells the story of the scientist, Dr. Richard Sternberg, who has spent the last two decades bringing together cutting-edge molecular biology, higher mathematics, and commonsense reasoning to flesh out this potentially revolutionary new idea. Read More ›

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Author
Casey Luskin

Date
March 18, 2024

Tagged
, biochemist, bioengineer, biology, Darwinism, Denis Noble, epigenetic information, epigenetics, Evolution, Evolutionary Biology, genes, genetics, genome, Intelligent Design, Joana Xavier, Materialism, Natural Selection, Nature (Journal), Neo-Darwinism, Nick Lane, origin of life, Origin of Life Research}

Two Nature Articles Call for Rethink in Biology

_{Casey Luskin
March 18, 2024

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It's not just intelligent design theorists who are calling for a major rethink of biology and origin-of-life research. On this ID The Future, Casey Luskin speaks to host Andrew McDiarmid about two recent articles in the prestigious journal Nature that review major problems with current theories on the origin of life and the source of genetic complexity in living things. Dig deeper with more resources at idthefuture.com. Read More ›

Knowledge and science books artistic graphic collage - Generative AI illustration

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Author
ID the Future

Date
July 24, 2023

Tagged
, biology, Biology Textbooks, Darwinism, Evolution, Evolutionary Biology, Fossil Record, genetics, high school, high school biology, Icons of Evolution, molecular biology, Students, textbook errors, Textbooks, whale evolution}

Is Evolution Taught Fairly in Textbooks? A High School Senior Investigates

_{ID the Future
July 24, 2023

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3}

Has the accuracy of teaching on evolutionary theory improved in standard biology textbooks in recent years? On this ID The Future, host Daniel Reeves, Director of Education & Outreach at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture, speaks with a recent high school graduate named Natalie about her senior year research project. Natalie has had an interest in evolution and intelligent design for years, and she's noticed that textbooks don't always cover important or controversial topics fairly. So when she discovered her school was trialing a new biology textbook, she decided to evaluate the proposed textbook's approach to accuracy and fairness in light of the available scientific evidence. Focusing on the fossil record and genetics, Natalie organized quotations from the textbook into three categories - misrepresented, underdeveloped, or well-aligned - based on how well they conveyed the available evidence. From whale evolution to genetic differences among organisms, Natalie found that more often than not, the textbook was misleading to students in the way it presented or omitted important scientific ideas. "High school students are in such a pivotal time in their life because they're forming their worldview," says Natalie. "And evolution is a theory on the origin of life...that's huge to answering those questions." Natalie encourages her fellow students, and anyone interested in origins, to question and dive deep as they evaluate competing ideas. As biologist and Center for Science and Culture Senior Fellow Jonathan Wells puts it at the start of his latest book, Zombie Science, this book is "dedicated to the students who will need to discern the truth for themselves." Here's one young scholar who is doing just that. AN IMPORTANT NOTE In the interview, Natalie shares her personal view that intelligent design should be included in public school science classrooms. However, as a matter of public policy, Discovery Institute opposes any effort to require the teaching of intelligent design by school districts or state boards of education. Attempts to require teaching about intelligent design only politicize the theory and will hinder fair and open discussion of the merits of the theory among scholars and within the scientific community. Furthermore, most teachers at the present time do not know enough about intelligent design to teach about it accurately and objectively. Instead of recommending teaching about intelligent design in public K-12 schools, Discovery Institute seeks to increase the coverage of evolution in curriculum. It believes that evolution should be fully and completely presented to students, and they should learn more about evolutionary theory, including its unresolved issues. In other words, evolution should be taught as a scientific theory that is open to critical scrutiny, not as a sacred dogma that can’t be questioned. Read more of our recommendations for science curriculum here: https://www.discovery.org/a/3164/ Read More ›

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Author
Richard Buggs

Date
June 5, 2023

Tagged
, adaptation, Atheism, Christianity, Darwinian Evolution, Darwinism, Evolution, faith, Faith and Science, genetic diversity, genetics, human evolution, human origins, Materialism, Natural Selection, Neo-Darwinism, origin of life, plants, Religion, tree, Tree of Life, trees}

How Faith Can Improve Rigor and Creativity in Scientific Research

_{Richard Buggs
June 5, 2023

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On this episode of ID The Future, plant scientist Richard Buggs speaks to the hosts of the Table Talk podcast about the long-standing claim that science and religion are at odds. Buggs is a professor and Senior Research Leader at Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, one of the UK's largest plant science research institutes. He is also Professor of Evolutionary Genomics at Queen Mary, University of London. Contrary to the prevailing view, Buggs says his Christian faith motivates his research, giving him the ability not only to think with different perspectives but also better understand the people groups stewarding natural resources around the world as well as more adequately explain certain processes he studies in nature. Buggs also explains why the term "evolution" can vary between scientists and the public, and he reminds listeners of the current debate among evolutionary biologists themselves about the sufficiency of the current Darwinian mechanism to account for the origin and diversity of life. Along the way, Buggs points out the unconscious bias within his field that favors atheistic assumptions, nothing that more cognitive diversity would improve the scientific landscape and bring more rigor and creativity to the scientific process. For their kind permission to post this informative exchange, we thank Table Talk hosts Jack Timpany and Graeme Johnstone. Read More ›