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What is your theory on Evolution?

I'm just curious about this topic because i have a paper to write and was just really interested in the subject of Evolution.

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  • 8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    What's the subject of your paper? Are you supposed to debate evolution? Are you supposed to provide evidence for/against it? We cannot tell you that evolution is correct (even though I'd like to!) or that it's incorrect. What we CAN do is provide you with the evidence that you can then peruse at your own leisure.

    I use this source way too much, but the Wikipedia page "Evidence of Common Descent" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evidence_of_evolution... really is an amazingly extensive list of all the different lines of evidence in support of evolution. If your paper is INDEED to argue for or against evolution, this might be a good place to start. I warn you that there's a LOT on this page, so unless you've had some really extensive biology training, you may spend a lot of time reading gibberish.

    And again, let me be VERY clear: I do not mean to tell you that evolution is true or not true. That is NOT my job, and will NOT make a good paper.

    Summary of evolution via natural selection:

    1) In any given population, there will be minor differences in the genetic 'code' of the individuals. Think of these like tiny errors when you're xeroxing a paper.

    2) Most of these will either A) be bad (making it LESS likely for a beastie to reproduce and pass on that code) or B) 'silent', meaning that they really have no impact the organism.

    3) SOME of the changes will be good: they'll make the beastie's life easier. Something like a more efficient heart, or free Wi-Fi or something.

    4) Over time, these small good "mistakes" build up.

    5) How much time? Try 3.6 BILLION (3,600,000,000) years!

    6) Meanwhile, the environment changes too. Let's say we've got a mixture of long-furred beasties and short-furred beasties. If the environment cools down (as happened 100,000 - 10,000 years ago), long-furred beasties are happier, as their coats keep them nice and warm. Short-furred beasties are not as happy, since their coats are too thin. If it warms up, the opposite happens.

    7) Scientists call this "selection pressure" (it's a PRESSURE for natural SELECTION to happen).

    Some really cool evolutionary concepts:

    -Convergent evolution.

    -Evolution of tetrapods (that's "four-footed land creatures", including you)

    -Evolution of vertebrates

    -Evolution of whales

    -Evolution of modern culture (No, I'm serious! The changes in modern human culture over time are a form of evolution, just with ideas and trends, not DNA!).

  • The idea of evolution does not qualify to be called a scientific theory. A scientific theory needs to be supported by observable and repeatable evidence. Evolution (one kind of creature changing into another) has never been observed and certainly has not been repeated.

    Please see the links below for more on the topic.

  • LaAn
    Lv 7
    8 years ago

    If you have a paper to write, then you need to do proper research. You need to cite your sources.

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