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- Evolutionary theory is commonly misunderstood to not just explain the diversity of life, but also the origin of life or even the origin of the planet Earth and the universe. But the model does not apply to those things: evolutionary theory is an answer to one question, and one question only: taking as a premise that life exists, how did the diversity of life that we observe in both Biology and palaeontology come about?
- Evolutionary theory is commonly misrepresented as saying that evolution is purely random. It does not. It explains evolution in deterministic terms: cause and effect.
- Evolutionary theory is commonly misrepresented as being "just a theory". While evolutionary theory *is* a theory, it is no more "just a theory" than relativity theory is "just a theory". The term "scientific theory" is best defined as a well-substantiated, comprehensive explanatory model. Unfortunately, confusion is entirely understandable, as even within the natural sciences, the word 'theory' is often used in various contexts to mean various different things, or even misappropriated.
- Evolutionary theory is commonly misrepresented as saying that "just the fit should survive". This is wrong in two distinct ways:
- Evolutionary theory, like every theory in the natural sciences, doesn't do "should" or "shouldn't". It only tries to explain what *is*.
- The catchphrase "survival of the fittest" is an unfortunate misrepresentation of the principle of natural selection. Natural selection doesn't say that just the fittest survive. In stead, it describes the differential reproductive success of some variants over others. In other words, it describes how some variants tend to have a higher average number of offspring.
- A common creationist misconception is that the Second Law of Thermodynamics prohibits things getting more complex. The law is usually misrepresented as demanding that "everything runs down." But if this were true, not just evolution would be impossible, but also the growth of an adult human from a fertilized egg cell.
The simplest counter to the creationist argument that "thermodynamics precludes evolution" is to observe that the second law does *not* prohibit a temporary, localized reversal of entropy. In the case of life on Earth, the laws of gravity and chemistry, combined with the energy provided by the sun, provide the engine that drives a localized, temporary (on cosmic scales) reversal of entropy.
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What are some problems in the theory of evolution?
Some potential problems in the theory of evolution include gaps in the fossil record, the origin of complex structures like the eye, and understanding the mechanisms driving rapid evolutionary changes. Additionally, determining the exact mechanisms of speciation and the role of epigenetics in evolution are ongoing challenges.
How is fundamentalism at odds with the teaching of evolution?
Most religious creation myths teach that human beings (and every other form of life), were created specially, separate from all the others, for a particular divine purpose.Evolutionary theory does not award the human race (or any other kind of life) with a special position. Each and every living thing is the end product, the summum, of a long history of surviving common ancestors, producing diverging lineages. According to evolutionary theory, we're special not because of our origins, but because of the characteristics we've evolved, which set us - but every other life form as well - apart from all the others. There is no overriding purpose to our being special, according to evolutionary theory. We're merely a product of differential reproductive success.I believe that, in the basis, it is the issue of needing to be special in combination with the need for some overriding purpose that causes fundamentalists to reject evolutionary theory as an explanation for the diversity of life. See the answer below for an example of this.Answer:Fundamentalism, and religion in general, is at odds with evolutionary theory because evolutionary theory tends to be taught with the implicit message that God is not part (or need not be part) of the picture, that people do not have souls, and that there's no life after this one.
Why do people not believe Charles Darwin's theory?
Some people may not believe Charles Darwin's theory of evolution due to personal or religious beliefs that conflict with the idea of natural selection and common ancestry. Some individuals may also have misconceptions or misunderstandings about the scientific evidence supporting evolution.
What biological sciences support Darwin's theory of evolution?
The better question would be; what biological sciences DO NOT support Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Evolution is the backbone of biology and the theory that explains much about evolution is the bedrock on which all biology is built, regardless of the apparent absence in some disciplines of biology. It is no longer just Darwin's theory as many disciplines not formed then, and some extant then, have added to and refined the theory. Genetics Molecular cell biology. Evolutionary developmental biology. Biochemistry. Geology. Paleontology. Population generics. Botany. Evolutionary biology. And the list can go on. Google, disciplines in biology, wiki.
What are some common phylogenetic tree questions that researchers often explore in the field of evolutionary biology?
Researchers in evolutionary biology often explore questions related to the relationships between different species, the timing of evolutionary events, the patterns of genetic variation within and between species, and the processes driving evolutionary change. They may investigate the evolutionary history of specific groups of organisms, the impact of environmental factors on evolution, and the mechanisms underlying the diversification of life on Earth.
What is evolutionary racial hierarchy?
its basicly the theory that some races are superior to others because they evolved in a tougher environment or other evolutionary factors.
Who propounded evolutionary atavism theory?
The evolutionary atavism theory was proposed by Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso in the late 19th century. Lombroso believed that some individuals exhibited criminal behavior due to the presence of primitive traits inherited from their evolutionary ancestors.
Which behaviors would some evolutionary psychologists offer as proof of their theory?
all the answers are correct
Are there any studies on evolutionary theory?
As the theory of evolution by natural selection is the bedrock of biology one would think that somebody somewhere is doing studies on some aspect of evolutionary theory. Google Lenski and citrate eating Escherichia coli. Also Google the scientific journal, Evolution.
What are some common misrepresentations of evolutionary theory?
That it is a random process when natural selection is involved, that the process is directed and plans for future evolutionary changes, that the process is always very slow, that the process reaches a plateau and goes no further and, finally, that man is somehow not subject to evolutionary processes, at least his mind is not so subjected.
Is Darwin's theory same as recapitulation theory?
No. Recapitulation theory is the partly discarded notion that the developmental stages of an organism following its conception accurately reflect its evolutionary history. But while the embryological development of organisms does conform to the nested hierarchies of life and can be used confirm hypotheses about the evolutionary history of life, the statement that it is an exact image of that evolutionary past was discarded some time ago.
What is racial hierarchy?
its basicly the theory that some races are superior to others because they evolved in a tougher environment or other evolutionary factors.
What religions does not approve the theory of evolution?
Basically fundamentalist non-denomenational christain churches. Also most Islamic churches and some Hindu believers have trouble accepting evolutionary theory.
What behaviors would some evolutionary psychologists offer as proof of their theory?
Evolutionary psychologists may point to behaviors such as mate selection, parental investment, and aggression as evidence of their theory. They argue that these behaviors have evolved over time because they provided survival and reproductive advantages to our ancestors. By studying how these behaviors are expressed across different cultures and societies, evolutionary psychologists seek to understand the underlying evolutionary principles driving human behavior.
Why is evolutionary theory controversial?
It isn't, really. Evolutionary theory is accepted by anybody with sufficient education and sufficiently small biases as the best and only scientific explanation for the diversity of modern life. This includes some 99% of all publishing scientists, and a large segment of the general public. The theory is only regarded as controversial by a small but vocal minority of religious fundamentalists who seek to impose their religious beliefs on science and education.
Examples of biochemical evidence of evolution?
Physiological similarities suggest the species evolved from the same ancestor.
What some key contributions that Richard Dawkins made in the field of evolutionary biology?
Some key contributions made to the field of evolutionary biology by Richard Dawkins include the popularization of the gene-centered theory of evolution and the term meme. He has written many books on the subject.
