The question was why would the parasite who lived and reproduced inside the snail start using other species to reproduce.
Quoting: RomanianGuy Because birds eat the snails. It wasn't the parasite's choice. If birds start eating the infected snails, only the parasites capable of surviving in the bird will spread their genes. The rest die.
If there was a problem with living and reproducing inside snails, it would have been logical for them to adapt to the new conditions INSIDE the snails.
Your only hypothesis is "mutation".
Quoting: RomanianGuy What? It can't adapt to conditions if it doesn't live in those conditions. That doesn't make sense. They didn't start getting eaten by birds because there was a problem living in snails. They didn't have a choice. The parasite didn't plan. It didn't use logic. Birds just ate the snails. If some change allowed it to survive in the bird, that would be a beneficial change.
And if we add the amount of iterations the mutated parasites must have gone through to finally hit the bird jackpot and then to fully replace the rest of the population of snail parasites, then this whole theory requires just as much blind faith as any other.
Quoting: RomanianGuy That's a load of bull. We directly observe evolution by natural selection all the time. Show me an observable instance of your supernatural creation. The evidence indicates that flatworms existed before birds, and that different species are related to each other.
"It didn't have to make it on the first try".
That's a strange statement to make. They did have. Because if they didn't make it on the first try, that meant they DIDN'T reproduce. They DIDN'T pass on their genes. Do you see in nature any behaviour like this? Trying new, risky stuff at the risk of dying or not reproducing?
Quoting: RomanianGuy Wrong. Millions of infected snails could have been eaten, and the parasites all died. Then, the next parasite to get eaten survived. The survivor passes on its 'survivor' genes, resulting in more parasites that survive in birds.
How many times do I have to repeat myself. The parasite didn't 'try' or risk anything. It lives in snails. A bird came along and ate the snail. This isn't that complicated. I think you're just trying to be disagreeable. And yes, animals take risks all the time.
Even today many populations of animals die out during droughts or other stressful environmental situations and natural selection doesn't make some of them mutate and try new reproduction techniques. A crocodile's reproductive cycle is still the same and tied to water, despite many droughts. Just an example.
Quoting: RomanianGuy Yes it does! This happens all the time. Insects become immune to pesticides. Bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. Why do you think we need new flu shots every season? Because the flu mutates and becomes immune to treatment. You don't know what you're talking about. You need to do more research on this topic.
