Evolution is quicker than they thought

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

The creationist definition for macroevoution is "whatever hasn't been directly observed yet". So, it is currently one step past speciation, at what they call "kinds". So a wolf can become a dog, but that doesn't mean it's related to cats, because they're different "kinds". When a change of that magnitude is experimentally demonstrated, they'll move on to saying that OK, maybe mammals, but there's no relationship to reptiles. There will always be a god of the gaps.

Yes but we're discussing science here, and not the creationist mumbo jumbo, as far as I can tell. Aren't we?

[Happy Monkey]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Yes but we're discussing science here, and not the creationist mumbo jumbo, as far as I can tell. Aren't we?

In science, the term is used much less frequently and with a very different meaning:

Originally Posted by wikipedia

Some examples of subjects whose study falls within the realm of macroevolution:

• The debate between punctuated equilibrium and gradualism
• Speciation and extinction rates
• Mass extinctions
• Adaptive radiations such as The Cambrian Explosion
• Changes in biodiversity through time
• The role of development in shaping evolution, particularly such topics as heterochrony and developmental plasticity
• Genomic evolution, like horizontal gene transfer, genome fusions in endosymbioses, and adaptive changes in genome size

[xoxoxoBruce]

Aw crap, PH45's explanation is so much easier.

edit
OK, so Mendel (with modifications) has become generally accepted, while Schmalhausen's and Mayr's theorys have been discounted. The more tools they discover, like DNA, the stronger Mendel's theory looks and makes the micro/macro business Dobzhansky came up with, mesh.

Nevertheless, the term macroevolution has been around since the thirties and the definition now pretty well agreed on, in scientific circles. The creationists attempt to subvert it's meaning/use to make their case, is a non-starter.

Therefore, I'll stick with PH45's description as close enough for me.