An Evolutionary
Boundary
Testing the potential for a Change in
Energy Source in Simple Organisms
This scientific paper is within the larger site Pterosaurs Still Living
page 1
copyright 2003-2019 Jonathan David Whitcomb
ver-012
A Preliminary Investigation into
An Evolutionary Boundary
Introduction
Having noticed a possible discrepancy between present-day biological
population ratios and the population ratios that should have arisen
according to the most popular theories of organic evolution, I started
constructing simulations to test how populations would have progressed
in a world in which very simple organisms gave rise to more complex
ones in the oceans. In the process of creating these simulations, I came
across a concept which may require a reexamination of a popular tenet
of general evolution.
This concept, which I’ve labeled Evolutionary Boundary, seemed
important enough to warrant putting off the original investigation until
the newer idea could be explored. Should no reasonable fault be found
in this concept, then the idea that animal life originated from organisms
that obtained energy from sunlight and lived in oceans and/or other
bodies of water, will need to be reexamined. Because of the potential
importance of this concept, it will be examined first, instead of the earlier
study on population ratios, which will be investigated later and covered
in a separate paper.
This investigation on the subject of an Evolutionary Boundary uses
mathematical simulations to test how far populations of simple
organisms might increase in biological complexity, in particular
regarding a change in energy source.
The great majority of organisms now living are of two types: those that
directly use sunlight as an energy source and those that obtain energy
by consuming other organisms. Is it plausible that all members of the
animal kingdom are descended from one-celled organisms that relied
on sunlight for energy? Even without a theory that includes specific
biological details, are there methods that could enable us to evaluate the
likelihood that a major change in energy source occurred in simple one-
celled organisms long ago? This investigation was undertaken with the
conviction that for such an evolutionary change to have taken place, under
the influence of the law of “survival of the fittest,” specific population
changes must have occurred and that the plausibility of such changes
can be ascertained using mathematical simulations.
This simulation is with a hypothetical planet with at least the water
content of the earth. Beginning with simple one-celled organisms
(relying on sunlight for energy) as the only life forms, simulations are
made on the growths of sub-populations.
These groups are characterized by several general types of non-harmful
mutations. They are categorized by the general effects of those mutations.
The progress in size of these sub-populations are viewed with an eye to
a potential for the emergence of an organism that does not rely entirely
on sunlight as a direct energy source.
The object of this investigation is to search for an answer to the question:
“Is it plausible for a large population of organisms, which obtain energy
from sunlight and live in a large body of water, to generate, through
mutations, an organism that uses an energy source other than sunlight?”
I believe that the best way to approach this question may be through
simulating competition among very similar organisms, especially in a
biologically saturated environment. Therefore I have undertaken this
search for all reasonable avenues of potential evolutionary changes that
might answer this question in the affirmative. If no reasonable avenue
is found, then I propose a reexamination of the idea that present-day
animal life is descended from organisms that obtained energy from
sunlight.
The following is close to the original scientific paper that was completed in 2003 (first page)
Around the middle of 2002, I used my computer programming skills to
do mathematical calculations in an experiment. It simulated what may
happen on a planet like the earth, when tiny organisms are allowed to
evolve in vast numbers. I wanted to see if Darwinian evolution could
occur in one significant step, albeit a small step.
This was before I became actively involved in living-pterosaur research,
before I dreamed of exploring Umboi Island in search of ropens, what
some people would call “dragons.”
Yet the results of my mathematical simulation of potential evolution had
a great impact on me. After six to eight months of work with calculations,
it became obvious that macro-evolution couldn’t be forced into the math.
Small simple organisms, even in vast numbers, will never evolve into
large complex organisms. It just goes contrary to natural selection.
The original simulations were done with an eye to energy source in those
tiny simulated organisms: Can life that gets energy from sunlight evolve
into life that gets energy from eating other organisms? No it cannot. Yet
the principle can be applied more generally. Simple life cannot evolve
into complex life. I wrote a scientific paper, mostly on the calculations.
An Evolutionary
Boundary
Testing the potential for a Change in
Energy Source in Simple Organisms
This scientific paper is within the larger site Pterosaurs Still Living
Page 1
Around the middle of 2002, I used my computer programming skills to
do mathematical calculations in an experiment. It simulated what may
happen on a planet like the earth, when tiny organisms are allowed to
evolve in vast numbers. I wanted to see if Darwinian evolution could
occur in one significant step, albeit a small step.
This was before I became actively involved in living-pterosaur research,
before I dreamed of exploring Umboi Island in search of ropens, what
some people would call “dragons.”
Yet the results of my mathematical simulation of potential evolution had
a great impact on me. After six to eight months of work with calculations,
it became obvious that macro-evolution couldn’t be forced into the math.
Small simple organisms, even in vast numbers, will never evolve into
large complex organisms. It just goes contrary to natural selection.
The original simulation were done with an eye to energy source in those
tiny simulated organisms: Can life that gets energy from sunlight evolve
into life that gets energy from eating other organisms? No it cannot. Yet
the principle can be applied more generally. Simple life cannot evolve
into complex life. I wrote a scientific paper, mostly on the calculations.
The following is close to the original scientific
paper that was completed in 2003 (first page)
A Preliminary Investigation into
An Evolutionary Boundary
Introduction
Having noticed a possible discrepancy between present-day biological
population ratios and the population ratios that should have arisen
according to the most popular theories of organic evolution, I started
constructing simulations to test how populations would have progressed
in a world in which very simple organisms gave rise to more complex
ones in the oceans. In the process of creating these simulations, I came
across a concept which may require a reexamination of a popular tenet
of general evolution.
This concept, which I’ve labeled Evolutionary Boundary, seemed
important enough to warrant putting off the original investigation until
the newer idea could be explored. Should no reasonable fault be found
in this concept, then the idea that animal life originated from organisms
that obtained energy from sunlight and lived in oceans and/or other
bodies of water, will need to be reexamined. Because of the potential
importance of this concept, it will be examined first, instead of the earlier
study on population ratios, which will be investigated later and covered
in a separate paper.
This investigation on the subject of an Evolutionary Boundary uses
mathematical simulations to test how far populations of simple
organisms might increase in biological complexity, in particular
regarding a change in energy source.
The great majority of organisms now living are of two types: those that
directly use sunlight as an energy source and those that obtain energy
by consuming other organisms. Is it plausible that all members of the
animal kingdom are descended from one-celled organisms that relied
on sunlight for energy? Even without a theory that includes specific
biological details, are there methods that could enable us to evaluate the
likelihood that a major change in energy source occurred in simple one-
celled organisms long ago? This investigation was undertaken with the
conviction that for such an evolutionary change to have taken place, under
the influence of the law of “survival of the fittest,” specific population
changes must have occurred and that the plausibility of such changes
can be ascertained using mathematical simulations.
This simulation is with a hypothetical planet with at least the water
content of the earth. Beginning with simple one-celled organisms
(relying on sunlight for energy) as the only life forms, simulations are
made on the growths of sub-populations.
These groups are characterized by several general types of non-harmful
mutations. They are categorized by the general effects of those mutations.
The progress in size of these sub-populations are viewed with an eye to
a potential for the emergence of an organism that does not rely entirely
on sunlight as a direct energy source.
The object of this investigation is to search for an answer to the question:
“Is it plausible for a large population of organisms, which obtain energy
from sunlight and live in a large body of water, to generate, through
mutations, an organism that uses an energy source other than sunlight?”
I believe that the best way to approach this question may be through
simulating competition among very similar organisms, especially in a
biologically saturated environment. Therefore I have undertaken this
search for all reasonable avenues of potential evolutionary changes that
might answer this question in the affirmative. If no reasonable avenue
is found, then I propose a reexamination of the idea that present-day
animal life is descended from organisms that obtained energy from
sunlight.
copyright 2003-2019 Jonathan David Whitcomb
ver-012
An Evolutionary
Boundary
Testing the potential for a Change in
Energy Source in Simple Organisms
This scientific paper is within the larger site
Pterosaurs Still Living
Page 1
Around the middle of 2002, I used my computer programming skills
to do mathematical calculations in an experiment. It simulated what
may happen on a planet like the earth, when tiny organisms are allowed
to evolve in vast numbers. I wanted to see if Darwinian evolution could
occur in one significant step, albeit a small step.
This was before I became actively involved in living-pterosaur research,
before I dreamed of exploring Umboi Island in search of ropens, what
some people would call “dragons.”
Yet the results of my mathematical simulation of potential evolution
had a great impact on me. After six to eight months of work with
calculations, it became obvious that macro-evolution couldn’t be
forced into the math. Small simple organisms, even in vast numbers,
will never evolve into large complex organisms. It just goes contrary
to natural selection.
The original simulation were done with an eye to energy source in
those tiny simulated organisms: Can life that gets energy from sunlight
evolve into life that gets energy from eating other organisms? No it
cannot. Yet the principle can be applied more generally. Simple life
cannot evolve into complex life. I wrote a scientific paper, mostly on
the calculations.
The following is close to the original scientific
paper that was completed in 2003 (first page)
A Preliminary Investigation into
An Evolutionary Boundary
Introduction
Having noticed a possible discrepancy between present-day biological
population ratios and the population ratios that should have arisen
according to the most popular theories of organic evolution, I started
constructing simulations to test how populations would have progressed
in a world in which very simple organisms gave rise to more complex
ones in the oceans. In the process of creating these simulations, I came
across a concept which may require a reexamination of a popular tenet
of general evolution.
This concept, which I’ve labeled Evolutionary Boundary, seemed
important enough to warrant putting off the original investigation until
the newer idea could be explored. Should no reasonable fault be found
in this concept, then the idea that animal life originated from organisms
that obtained energy from sunlight and lived in oceans and/or other
bodies of water, will need to be reexamined. Because of the potential
importance of this concept, it will be examined first, instead of the earlier
study on population ratios, which will be investigated later and covered
in a separate paper.
This investigation on the subject of an Evolutionary Boundary uses
mathematical simulations to test how far populations of simple
organisms might increase in biological complexity, in particular
regarding a change in energy source.
The great majority of organisms now living are of two types: those that
directly use sunlight as an energy source and those that obtain energy
by consuming other organisms. Is it plausible that all members of the
animal kingdom are descended from one-celled organisms that relied
on sunlight for energy? Even without a theory that includes specific
biological details, are there methods that could enable us to evaluate the
likelihood that a major change in energy source occurred in simple one-
celled organisms long ago? This investigation was undertaken with the
conviction that for such an evolutionary change to have taken place, under
the influence of the law of “survival of the fittest,” specific population
changes must have occurred and that the plausibility of such changes
can be ascertained using mathematical simulations.
This simulation is with a hypothetical planet with at least the water
content of the earth. Beginning with simple one-celled organisms
(relying on sunlight for energy) as the only life forms, simulations are
made on the growths of sub-populations.
These groups are characterized by several general types of non-harmful
mutations. They are categorized by the general effects of those mutations.
The progress in size of these sub-populations are viewed with an eye to
a potential for the emergence of an organism that does not rely entirely
on sunlight as a direct energy source.
The object of this investigation is to search for an answer to the question:
“Is it plausible for a large population of organisms, which obtain energy
from sunlight and live in a large body of water, to generate, through
mutations, an organism that uses an energy source other than sunlight?”
I believe that the best way to approach this question may be through
simulating competition among very similar organisms, especially in a
biologically saturated environment. Therefore I have undertaken this
search for all reasonable avenues of potential evolutionary changes that
might answer this question in the affirmative. If no reasonable avenue
is found, then I propose a reexamination of the idea that present-day
animal life is descended from organisms that obtained energy from
sunlight.
copyright 2003-2019 Jonathan David Whitcomb
ver-012