Some people believe in it while others do not. Belief itself is irrelevant. The theory could be true or false regardless of how many people believe or disbelieve.
I personally accept it as accurate due to the evidence that the fossil record and DNA gives us but many Christians (and those of other religious beliefs) believe that to say that Evolution is real is to deny that God created everything. There are those who believe that God created evolution. Evolution is a theory but in science terms a theory is a widely accepted (by scientists) explanation supported by data.
The evidence evolution occurs runs rampant through the genetic code of modern species and through the fossil record. Compare the earliest amphibians to sarcopterygian lungfish. Considered legged cetaceans. Examine the human chromosome that is a fused pair of "monkey: chromosomes. Contemplate the GULO gene. Why should we share a defective gene for the synthesis of ascorbic acid with old world monkeys?
These are all strong indicators evolution has occurred, though the theory of evolution is the explanation that ties these facts into a coherent picture.
population
Gradualism is the concept but I would not give it the ranking of scientific theory. It is more a subset of the theory of evolution by natural selection and was first formulated into that theory by Darwin.
The theory of evolution has passed on and is no longer just Darwin's theory and the only crisis in this theory is in the heads of delusional creationists.
Punctuated equilibrium.
he just studied birds and turtles... evolution was his theory
population
Gradualism is the concept but I would not give it the ranking of scientific theory. It is more a subset of the theory of evolution by natural selection and was first formulated into that theory by Darwin.
Equilibria
The theory of evolution has passed on and is no longer just Darwin's theory and the only crisis in this theory is in the heads of delusional creationists.
The theory of rapid evolution rather than over a very long time.
Punctuated equilibrium.
Darwin's classic theory of evolution assumed that evolution is a slow, contunuous process, by which new species evolve and emerge. This is referred to at times as "organic evolution" and the "synthetic theory of evolution", or just the Darwinian theory of evolution. A newer theory, proposed originally by Niles Eldridge and Stephen Jay Gould is known as "punctuated equilibria", a model in which the evloution of new species occurs only periodically, in relatively rapid spurts. See "Time Frames the Rethinking of Darwinian Evolution and the Theory of Punctuated Equilibraia, Simon & Schuster, 1985"AnswerThe slow, constant process has also been called "gradualism."
he just studied birds and turtles... evolution was his theory
That theory is called punctuated equilibrium.
I accept the modern theory of evolution by natural selection. You can not just on a whim put forth a scientific theory. I suggest you access a good dictionary. The scientific meaning of " theory " is generally the primary meaning.
Theory of evolution refers to animals and plants evolution along the time. Language evolution is another issue, not entirely related to the theory of evolution. It follows the theory of evolution on some way but it is related to culture evolution, not to the physical attributes evolution.
Evolution is a fact. The theory of evolution by natural selection is what you are trying to talk about. When someone says " evolution is just a theory " they are using the vulgar, common sense of the word theory. They mean guess, hunch and the like. The theory of evolution by natural selection is in the scientific sense of the word theory, which means a body of explanatory work supported by myriad lines of converging evidence that has been tested rigouusly and replicated often. Any good dictionary uses this scientific meaning of theory as the primary meaning of the word.