Tim Tyler  wrote:

> TT:-
> Even without differential reproductive success, you can't avoid
> evolution in practice - due to genetic drift.

JE;-
Such a proposition is totally irrefutable. Why do
people argue that irrefutability is a GOOD thing?
Scientific method demands refutable theories of
nature otherwise science is reduced to just a witch
hunt. Genetic drift (the defined random process of
sampling error) cannot be defined as causing evolution
in its own right, just temporal variation otherwise the 
theory of  of evolution becomes reduced to a rusting 
"iron man" proposition that cannot be tested to refutation
only to non verification. The net result is that somebody 
ends up dictating what evolution is forcing open the doors 
of science departments to other dictating bigots allowing 
them to teach nonsense "creation science" to hapless 
children.

> TT:-
> In fact, differential reproductive success will always decrease the 
> effective population size - and will thus increase the magnitude of
> the effect of genetic drift on gene frequency changes.

JE:-
Dr Tyler has not defined what biological entity
is being measured using "reproductive success"
so his argument lacks rigor. If you define
these entities as fertile forms (as Darwin
implicitly did) then it is not true to argue
that "differential reproductive success will always 
decrease the effective population size" of fertile
forms. Each parent is selected to maximise the
total number of fertile forms it reproduces into
one population using Darwinism. This represents
a testable to refutation Darwinian fitness maximand.
The prediction is that no fertile form can be selected
to reduce its own Darwinian maximand, i.e. no parent
can be selected to reduce the total number of fertile
forms its reproduces into one population. This being
the case Darwinism always attempts to EXPAND populations 
of fertile forms. This does NOT mean that all natural
population must expand. It means that the population
of fertile forms will always be maximised relative to
the carrying capacity of the environment.

Regards,

John Edser
Independent Researcher

PO Box 266
Church Pt
NSW 2105
Australia

edser{at}tpg.com.au
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