Evolution is one of the most well supported theories throughout science and is one of the best explanations we have to help us understand the diversity of life forms. There are so many parts to evolution and with each of them having various explanations it is understandable that there are also numerous misconceptions surrounding the theory. Whilst when the theory of evolution was first introduced it produced a fair bit of controversy, it was widely accepted by many biologists. Despite this, it continues to be a difficult and debated topic and so misbeliefs about it largely exist. For these reasons it is important that we study evolution and begin to understand the truth behind these misconceptions. One of the main misconceptions about evolution …show more content…
Whilst this is true in the sense that chance plays some part in the course of evolution, natural selection is a process that works to filter out what doesn’t work from the aspects that do work, which leads to organisms evolving in a certain direction. As well as this, when the environment which organisms are in changes different variations are chosen to be passed on which then leads to different species. When harmful mutations occurred, they often died out pretty quickly as if they didn’t they would interfere with the beneficial mutations having an effect. Some mechanisms of evolution suggest chance whereas some do not, for example random mutation is the cause of much genetic variation but natural selection is definitely not random. An example of a group of animals which have adapted in a specific way to make them more likely to survive are aquatic ones, they have altered to have increased speed as this helps them to catch prey and also escape any forms of danger. Specifically sharks and dolphins have evolved to have streamlined bodies which help them to swim faster. As they were evolving, those individuals with more streamlined bodies would have been more likely to reproduce and thus pass down their genes leading to offspring which also have streamlined bodies. This, therefore, demonstrates non-random evolution of traits as this is something useful that has been …show more content…
The concept of evolution surrounds us and is used to explain many behaviors and helps us to gain understanding of life’s history, but still people have many misconceptions when it comes to considering the theory. Some of the most common ones, which I have previously discussed, include that it is always progressive, that life evolves randomly and that survival of the fittest is simply about the strongest or biggest animals. Whilst some features of these ideas are correct to an extent, they are mostly inaccurate, and the fact that these are widely believed concepts it suggests that they are commonly thought amongst
18 February 2014 “NSTA Position Statement: The teaching of Evolution”. NSTA.org. -. nd. Web. The Web. The Web.
Australopithecus afarensis who existed 3.5 million years ago and a 4.4 million year old skeleton of an Ardipithecus ramidus are the closest science has come to discovering the human lineage. Shattered Ancestry an article written by Katherine Harmon discusses the remains of two hominids found within Ethiopia. These skeletal remains have created a huge controversy within the topic of evolution questioning many assumptions that have been made referencing the human lineage. The skeleton of the Australopithecus afarensis was named Lucy and was discovered in 1974. The evidence of her walking upright on her two feet essentially guaranteed her a spot in the human lineage line. Lucy was a chimplike ape that was said to walk upright making scientists believe the human ancestry was simple. The complete skeleton found in Ethiopia of an Ardipithecus ramidus named Ardi completely changed all assumptions made from scientists about the complexity of the human lineage. These remains have encouraged researches that the human line is not the only lineage to have evolved but the chimpanzee line has undergone drastic changes as well. There are many traits that researchers have always directly linked to the human lineage however since these discoveries occurred researchers are reconsidering. The recent discoveries that have shattered what has always suggested what linked a species to the human lineage have changed the certainty of whether it is possible to confidently identify the human’s last common ancestor. Majority of scientist had forgotten that there would have been many hominid species living together at one time. New theories have been suggested since scientists revealed that the foot of a hominid found called the Burtele site was found ju...
Darwin's theory of Evolution have been known by the world for many centuries. Even so, not all scientists supp...
Anyone with even a moderate background in science has heard of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution. Since the publishing of his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859, Darwin’s ideas have been debated by everyone from scientists to theologians to ordinary lay-people. Today, though there is still severe opposition, evolution is regarded as fact by most of the scientific community and Darwin’s book remains one of the most influential ever written.
The authority of the theory of evolution can be characterized by defining what qualifies as a scientific theory. Although there are several perspectives regarding what science is, they are based on the same premises. Karl Popper, a philosopher of science, claims that the process of “conjectures and refutations” is the method of science (46). In this process, a
Evolution in general, is a hard concept to grasp. There are multiple factors that effect the outcome a species, for example: genetics, nurture, nature, and the environment all play an important role. It was once said that species do not survive due to the fact that they are the strongest or the most intelligent, but because that species is the most responsive to change.
Darwin has two theories on the key principles of theory of evolution. One is the natural selection, a species that attains characteristics that are adapted to their environments (Darwin, Charles). The other one is survival of the fittest, which is when an individual best adapts to their environment survive to reproduce, and their genes are passed to later generat...
However, mutation is random in the evolution, and provides raw material for natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow to work on.... ... middle of paper ... ... Evolution is an ongoing process and the evolution is made up of many different processes. It allows species to become what they are, how they act, and what they will become.
It's November 24, 1974 on a dig site of Hader, Ethiopia. Donald Johansson decided to take an alternative route back to their vehicle through a nearby gully and spotted a forearm bone. Very quickly he saw many other bones. Two weeks later he had assembled 40 percent of a human skeleton. However, do we know human evolution was real? I do not believe in human evolution because of gaps in human history, other animals going extinct, and theories of everything.
Over the last 150 years, evolutionary theory has completely refined people’s understanding of changes in the inherited characteristics of biological populations over time, and this theory has now become a unifying concept of the life sciences. In 1859, through his book The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin proposed that organisms evolve over time to adapt to their environment and therefore achieve longevity and success as a species at large. Moreover, Darwin was able to support his theory with significant research, and subsequent studies were able to provide additional backing for evolution. Needless to say, this theory caused great controversy at the time it was proposed, especially among religious groups. Darwin’s theory blatantly disputed other ideas specific to certain religious cultures pertaining to the origins of life, such as intelligent design. This opposition detrimentally delayed acceptance of Darwinism and further scientific research based upon the theory. Despite being universally accepted as fact among the scientific community for decades, the ever-present opposition from pious religious subcultures still calls into question whether evolution should be taught to students in high school biology classes. Darwin’s theory of evolution is backed by extensive data, is accepted science that students, due to academic integrity, have a right to learn and, unlike alternative theories based mostly on theology, is based solely on facts; therefore, evolution should be included in the high school curriculum.
Natural selection is a random process is a misconception, because natural selection is not a random process. Natural selection is not a random process for two reasons. The first one is that the genetic variation that occurs in a population because of mutation is random, but selection acts on that variation in a very non-random way. Genetic variants that aid survival and reproduction are much more likely to become common than variants that don't. As the organisms that have genetic variants that aid survival and reproduction will definitely survive, reproduce, and will not die. While the organisms with no genetic variants that aid survival and reproduction will definitely not survive, reproduce, and will die. This means that the organisms with theses genetic variants will clearly outnumber the other organisms; this is the first reasons will natural selection is not a random process. The second one is that although the genetic variation on which natural selection act...
What does it mean to be alive and what is the difference between the living and the dead? Ever wondered how the life originated on earth or our planet? It feels amazing when you knew that there is more galaxy around the world than salt in the sea and there is only one life on one planet earth. But how did it happen How did this miracle thing happened. It all happened around 1.3 billion years ago the first origin of life on earth. This is a slow process and it took thousands of years to complete. The evolutionist theory suggests that the life originated from simple atom like carbon, nitrogen. They react to under great pressure to form a single cell and evolve from there to become an organism.
Evolution and natural selection can be summarized by the Oxford definition as the process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. It hindsight, these definitions may seem somewhat trivial and part of common sense, but the development and understanding of these theories can be significantly more complex and mysterious. These consequences are even important in today’s scientific pursuits as the terms natural selection and evolution are often tossed around without recognizing its implications. For example, many scholars in their own control experiments trivialize and take advantage of the evolutionary theories as justification of their results rather than provide a mechanism of action.
The world around us is a big one. Besides that, it is a very old one: The earth is estimated to be more than four billion years old! Despite earth 's long history, animals and plants emerged only 700 million and 600 million years ago, respectively, and humans, an estimated 200 thousand years ago. Animals and plants descended from earlier life forms. However, this has not always been known. Evolution has been a thoroughly studied theory that has its estimated origins with the Greeks of antiquity and that has continued up to modern times. But just how did evolutionary theory develop, and who were its major thinkers? A brief history of evolutionary thought and its significant proponents is vital to understanding just what shaped
Natural selection is based on the concept “survival of the fittest” where the most favourable individual best suited in the environment survive and pass on their genes for the next generation. Those individual who are less suited to the environment will die.