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The Theory of Evolution does not seek to how life began, although there are several very credible hypotheses for the beginning of life on Earth.

The traditional view is that, billions of years ago while the Earth was still hot and there was extreme volcanic and lightning activity, organic chemicals began to form out of the simpler inorganic chmicals that abounded. These organic chemicals became more and more complex, until RNA molecules (the precursors to DNA) formed. Once RNA, and then DNA molecules existed, life was ready to begin.

Another hypothesis is based on the ability of some crystals to replicate themselves, even replicating the defects that occasionally formed. In a 'dirty' environment, carbon atoms could attach themselves to those crystals and become replicated along with the crystal itself. This self-replication is not yet life, but could conceivably lead to the development of life.

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How does the cell theory show that Darwin's theory of evolution was incorrect?

It does not. Cell theory is fully compatible with evolutionary theory. Does this mean we know everything about the evolution of cells? No. We say we do not know, not that cell theory shows that evolutionary theory is incorrect. ( except, of course, if you are referring to heritability. This Darwin got wrong, but this is not directly related to cell theory )


How does evolution explain biodiversity?

Evolutionary theory explains virtually everything about the diversity of life, everything we know about life, of extant forms as well as extinct. As the geneticist Theodosius Dobzhansky wrote: nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.


Does the cell theory answer the question of how or where life originally came from explain?

No. Cell theory is the theory that cells make up organisms. The only theory dealing with the origin of life is life origin theory.


A theory that stands the test of time and becomes the basis for a field of study?

The theory of evolution by natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin, has stood the test of time and has become the basis for the field of evolutionary biology. This theory explains how species evolve and adapt to their environments over time through genetic variations and natural selection, shaping the diversity of life on Earth.


Why is darwin's theory of natural selection referred to as gradualism?

Darwin's theory of natural selection is referred to as gradualism because it proposes that evolutionary change happens slowly and gradually over long periods of time, through the accumulation of small, incremental variations in populations. This contrasts with other theories that propose sudden and abrupt changes in species.

Related Questions

When did life begin according to the evolutionary theory?

According to the evolutionary theory, life is believed to have begun around 3.5 to 4 billion years ago with the emergence of simple single-celled organisms such as bacteria. These early life forms eventually evolved and diversified into more complex organisms over millions of years.


Is evolution the scientific belief?

Yes, evolutionary theory is the scientific explanation for life's diversity.


Who is considered the father of evolutionary theory?

Charles Darwin is considered the father of evolutionary theory. His work on natural selection and the publication of "On the Origin of Species" in 1859 revolutionized the way we understand the diversity of life on Earth.


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.


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.


What is the difference between creationism and evolutionary theory?

Evolution is a scientific theory explaining the diversity of modern life. The various forms of creationism are religious beliefs, usually inspired by ancient myths captured in religious scriptures.


How did the first life forms come into being according to the big bang theory?

The big bang theory has nothing to do with the formation of life.


What is the beginning of evolutionary theory God created the earth and left it to evolve or the Big Bang Theory?

Evolutionary theory is intended to explain how evolution occurs. It only covers the progression of life as evidenced by the changing genetic structure and location of living organisms. It does not have any relationship to what started the universe, caused the Earth to form, etc.; that is another question entirely.


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.


Why has the spontaneous generation been discarded?

This question regards the earlier theories as to the origins of life. This theory came to be rejected as genetics and the biochemical pathways to life came to be understood through evolutionary biology.


Where did the first animal start its life?

according to the theory of evolution we all started our life in water


What is an explanation of diversity of life?

Evolutionary theory explains the diversity of life, by proposing that all life known to us shares a common ancestry, and that they developed from these ancestors through a continuous though not uniformly gradual process of variation and selection.