Is convergent evolution evidence against common descent?

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130 and 173 seem to me more significant.

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That's like the difference between 3 years and 4 years. Significant? Yes. It confirms what has always been suspected by anyone with a lick of sense, that mutation rates cannot be expected to have remained constant across all species for millions of generations. They are constant enough to give a general idea of time frames for divergence, but nobody ever claimed they could tell us the day and hour when two major taxa last interbred. The possibility of a +/-20% variation in rates of mutation - for diverse species in massively different environments - is not denied by biologists and would not invalidate the whole field of research.Oh, hi. I'm Jeff. Been lurking in the thread and finally got near the recent stuff so I'm trying to contribute. There you have it.

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saw your comment and realized a quick reply would suffice.

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It did not at all suffice. Do you have examples of interbreeding species where one has a fenestrated palate and one doesn't? Any examples of *any* of the listed differences which are also found between known, interbreeding species? You can't just handwave these facts away. You need to at least demonstrate that you understand them, and you haven't even done that yet.

I have read the thread, and I find it amazing that you have so much time to write and so little time to learn, and so much capacity for repetitious argument. As long-winded and tiresome as your posts can be, I have read all of them. Your assumption is thus incorrect.The wholphin is indeed a fascinating thing. I don't claim to understand the mechanisms involved.Regardless:You didn't answer any of my questions, and the charge of condescension would be better aimed at yourself. I at least can acknowledge when I'm out of my depth, whereas you routinely turn your nose up at the work of your superiors.Thanks for the pic links, but I don't see their purpose here. FYI, if I hadn't already known what a fenestrated palate was, I could have figured it out. Also, having read the entire thylacine page linked earlier in the thread, I am aware that they are a good example of a marsupial with a highly fenestrated palate while a wolf is not. Your last post does nothing to support your point (if you have one) but it makes me wonder if dogs and possums can interbreed. Now that would be a funny thing....