The idea that organisms change over time, and that is change occurs through natural selection which allows favorable traits to be passed along through generations. It has been refered to as a theory, which, in science, means it is an idea that has not been disproven. Many scientists are moving towards calling it the Law of Evolution, similar to the Law of Gravity, in order to help reduce frivolous claims that it is "only a theory" by people ignorant of what a scientific theory entails.
Some (especially miseducated critics) refer to macro and microevolution. There is no such thing. Evolution is evolution. Fruit flys, rats, frogs, etc., have all been observed undergoing character change in laboritories, resulting in the inability to mate with other members of the base species (the control), thus forming a new species. Several examples of so-called macroevolution (the change at a genus level) have been observed by biologists in the rain forest. Furthermore, good fossil evidence shows transition between genera, and even higher taxanomic orders (incorrectly called Kingdom, Phylum, etc. - current work in phylogentic taxonomy does away with Linnean ranks). Representatives of higher order change in the fossil record includes change with fish, fish to amphibians, with amphibians, within reptiles, "reptiles" to dinosaurs, within dinosaurs, dinosaurs to "birds", within "birds", "reptiles" to mammals, within mammals, and other mammals to humans. I am not mentioning invertebrates here, as I do not deal with them in my line of work. See current molecular and physical phylogenetic phylogenies in Nature, Science, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, etc., all of which are peer reviewed, something most parties who oppose evolution will not do (publish in peer-reviewed journals).
Evolution has nothing to do with The Big Bang - that is astronomy, not biology.
The synthysis and subsequent radiation and adaptation of life is a wonderful and beautiful thing, and far more complex than the, "We don't look like fish, so can't have evolved," argument presented by many whom view evolution/natural selection as the work of the devil.
Some (especially miseducated critics) refer to macro and microevolution. There is no such thing. Evolution is evolution. Fruit flys, rats, frogs, etc., have all been observed undergoing character change in laboritories, resulting in the inability to mate with other members of the base species (the control), thus forming a new species. Several examples of so-called macroevolution (the change at a genus level) have been observed by biologists in the rain forest. Furthermore, good fossil evidence shows transition between genera, and even higher taxanomic orders (incorrectly called Kingdom, Phylum, etc. - current work in phylogentic taxonomy does away with Linnean ranks). Representatives of higher order change in the fossil record includes change with fish, fish to amphibians, with amphibians, within reptiles, "reptiles" to dinosaurs, within dinosaurs, dinosaurs to "birds", within "birds", "reptiles" to mammals, within mammals, and other mammals to humans. I am not mentioning invertebrates here, as I do not deal with them in my line of work. See current molecular and physical phylogenetic phylogenies in Nature, Science, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, etc., all of which are peer reviewed, something most parties who oppose evolution will not do (publish in peer-reviewed journals).
Evolution has nothing to do with The Big Bang - that is astronomy, not biology.
The synthysis and subsequent radiation and adaptation of life is a wonderful and beautiful thing, and far more complex than the, "We don't look like fish, so can't have evolved," argument presented by many whom view evolution/natural selection as the work of the devil.
A good example of evolution is the fossil record showing the transition between fish and amphibians, or dinosaurs and birds.
by Robert Gay - Biologist December 4, 2003
Get the Evolution mug.Wow, there are people who STILL deny the solid and obvious fact that is evolution? Well, I guess the condition of being sentient kind of subverts the "survival of the fittest" thing. This one dude, he married this lady, she was like 400 lbs...ANYWAY, the resulting child-thing, what with the combined genes of its parents, will a be new specimen added to humanity. A new specimen is different from other specimens, thus, genes are mixed & matched when this specimen procreates, leading to even more change within the human gene pool. Change adds up over time, thus, evolution. Even if it results in the downfall of mankind.
Now, let's go to wildlife. Wildlife does the evolution the right way. Why? Because if you're a morbidly obese sheep, you can't outrun that bear who's keen on eating you, and therefore you don't get to spread your fat ass genes. Sucks to be you. Now, on the other hand, if you're a sheep born with a slight genetic mutation that makes you physically stronger than most sheep, you're going to have a much better chance of outrunning that bear and living to spread your super genes. Very gradually, as more and more sheep with super genes and less and less sheep with fat ass genes mate, the sheep gene pool will be significantly swayed. As a result, a species of sheep who is better adapted to survive bear attacks will evolve. At the same time, bears will have evolved to be better equipped to take down sheep, since bears who could catch sheep were able to mate while bears who couldn't feed themselves didn't get to score. The process continues forever, until something catastrophic, like a meteor or urban development, wipes out a species faster than it can procreate.
That's evolution.
Now, let's go to wildlife. Wildlife does the evolution the right way. Why? Because if you're a morbidly obese sheep, you can't outrun that bear who's keen on eating you, and therefore you don't get to spread your fat ass genes. Sucks to be you. Now, on the other hand, if you're a sheep born with a slight genetic mutation that makes you physically stronger than most sheep, you're going to have a much better chance of outrunning that bear and living to spread your super genes. Very gradually, as more and more sheep with super genes and less and less sheep with fat ass genes mate, the sheep gene pool will be significantly swayed. As a result, a species of sheep who is better adapted to survive bear attacks will evolve. At the same time, bears will have evolved to be better equipped to take down sheep, since bears who could catch sheep were able to mate while bears who couldn't feed themselves didn't get to score. The process continues forever, until something catastrophic, like a meteor or urban development, wipes out a species faster than it can procreate.
That's evolution.
Waterbears can survive almost ANYTHING because only the toughest waterbears were able to mate frequently enough to have a profound effect on the genepool. This is a prime example of evolution.
by Everbound Venvel January 26, 2009
Get the Evolution mug.The theory that life forms change over time that is now being more widely accepted as the Law of Evolution.
For those idiots out there who argue with it on accounts of "But why are there still apes then?" or "Do you have any idea how unlikely it was for a single cell to evolve, our entire world too?"
you can easily go on believing that we humans were created by a god to be the dominant species on Earth, or you can face the fact that sooner or later a new type of human will emerge.(As long as we don't screw the planet up too badly before.)
Also; the chances? Not very high, but considering the fact that there is a chance and that it has happened don't you think that it probably already has? And will? Countless times? But then again why the hell should we humans care, we only live 80 years or so.
For those idiots out there who argue with it on accounts of "But why are there still apes then?" or "Do you have any idea how unlikely it was for a single cell to evolve, our entire world too?"
you can easily go on believing that we humans were created by a god to be the dominant species on Earth, or you can face the fact that sooner or later a new type of human will emerge.(As long as we don't screw the planet up too badly before.)
Also; the chances? Not very high, but considering the fact that there is a chance and that it has happened don't you think that it probably already has? And will? Countless times? But then again why the hell should we humans care, we only live 80 years or so.
by TheAlienSmiley:D January 18, 2011
Get the evolution mug.by Loller July 8, 2003
Get the evolution mug.1. Gradual change in life over millions of years, confirmed by both genetics and fossils. Anyone who's seen the evidence and still denies it likely has religious motivations.
2. Something that is clearly going downhill in the Bush family.
2. Something that is clearly going downhill in the Bush family.
by Jason Kossmann October 22, 2006
Get the evolution mug.The general idea of evolution is that if a million monkeys bang a million monkeys they’d eventually produce a Shakespear.
If we are going to teach creation science as an alternative to evolution, then we should also teach the stork theory as an alternative to biological reproduction.
by Mr. Dum November 21, 2006
Get the evolution mug.A dis-proven hypothesis, which still has large support in the "scientific" community. This is purely due to the reason that people simply wants to believe in it, as it entitles them of no moral responsibility whatsoever.
The hypothesis says, that all species evolved over time from a single common ancestor, through gradual beneficial variations, which has accumulated over millions of years.
This hypothesis is invalid due to the following:
The eye, ear and any other irreducibly complex systems could not have evolved by "slight beneficial variations" as each part is completely and utterly worthless if simple one of the pieces are missing.
Many more scientific counter-evidences can be presented, though the above should be enough for any honest supporter of evolution to abandon the hypothesis.
This logical evidence disproving evolution has not posed much of a problem, due to the fact that supporters of the hypothesis have suspended the use of logic and rationality.
The supporters of evolution have, in their desperate search for evidence to back up the hypothesis, uncovered more than 100 million fossils, all showing that species appeared suddenly, out of nowhere and fully formed, not by gradual changes.
The few so called transitional forms that have been uncovered are simply birds with teeth claimed to come from dinosaurs, dogs with wider tails claimed to be whales and humans with slightly smaller skull capacity claimed to be apes.
These overwhelming empirical counter-evidences have caused the supporters of evolution to become fanatic in their belief, and the "scientific" hypothesis has moved away from science and turned into more of a religious belief.
Evolutionist propaganda can be found in any biology text book, where the dis-proven hypothesis is portrayed as fact. The propaganda authors loves to demonstrate the evolution of man from ape with a line, showing a chimp morphing into a human. This line is totally fictious, a product of the authors imagination and has no basis in the fossil record.
Many supporters find the lack of evidence so embarrassing, they have crafted fossils to prove it, such as piltdown man.
Facing this utter lack of evidence, and abundance of counter-evidences, the supporters of evolution simply attacks any one questioning the hypothesis, refusing any kind of debate and simply labeling the refuter as a "Religious fanatic!!!". They try to portray the hypothesis as a fact, and loves to bring forth completely unfounded claims such as "Evolution is as much a law as gravity".
The hypothesis says, that all species evolved over time from a single common ancestor, through gradual beneficial variations, which has accumulated over millions of years.
This hypothesis is invalid due to the following:
The eye, ear and any other irreducibly complex systems could not have evolved by "slight beneficial variations" as each part is completely and utterly worthless if simple one of the pieces are missing.
Many more scientific counter-evidences can be presented, though the above should be enough for any honest supporter of evolution to abandon the hypothesis.
This logical evidence disproving evolution has not posed much of a problem, due to the fact that supporters of the hypothesis have suspended the use of logic and rationality.
The supporters of evolution have, in their desperate search for evidence to back up the hypothesis, uncovered more than 100 million fossils, all showing that species appeared suddenly, out of nowhere and fully formed, not by gradual changes.
The few so called transitional forms that have been uncovered are simply birds with teeth claimed to come from dinosaurs, dogs with wider tails claimed to be whales and humans with slightly smaller skull capacity claimed to be apes.
These overwhelming empirical counter-evidences have caused the supporters of evolution to become fanatic in their belief, and the "scientific" hypothesis has moved away from science and turned into more of a religious belief.
Evolutionist propaganda can be found in any biology text book, where the dis-proven hypothesis is portrayed as fact. The propaganda authors loves to demonstrate the evolution of man from ape with a line, showing a chimp morphing into a human. This line is totally fictious, a product of the authors imagination and has no basis in the fossil record.
Many supporters find the lack of evidence so embarrassing, they have crafted fossils to prove it, such as piltdown man.
Facing this utter lack of evidence, and abundance of counter-evidences, the supporters of evolution simply attacks any one questioning the hypothesis, refusing any kind of debate and simply labeling the refuter as a "Religious fanatic!!!". They try to portray the hypothesis as a fact, and loves to bring forth completely unfounded claims such as "Evolution is as much a law as gravity".
Evolutionist: Man evolved from ape.
Normal person: Can you provide any proves?
Evolutionist: uhmmmmm... get out of here, you religous fanatic!
Normal person: Can you provide any proves?
Evolutionist: uhmmmmm... get out of here, you religous fanatic!
by TheEasyWay March 19, 2009
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