Evidence for Evolution

1. You may be tested on all the material in this powerpoint Evidence for Evolution Story: Where did we come from?

2. Kansas State Board of Education • 1999 this school board adopted new statewide standards • Missing was the Theory of Evolution • In 2000 there was a backlash • Some lost their jobs • Theory of Evolution was added once again to the curriculum

3. Kansas State Board of Education - part 2 • In 2004 many ousted members were reelected • They adopted a different approach • They mandated the teaching of ‘alternatives to evolution’ • Other lawmakers in other regions of the US have also interjected their views into the teaching of evolution

4. Why the upheavals • The root issue is the discussion of human existence and origins • Who are we? • Where did we come from? • Many religions include a key part about how humans were designed by an intelligent supernatural being • In contrast, evolutionary theory argues we descended from ancient apes • The courts have consistently upheld the constitution and outlawed the teaching of religious beliefs at school

5. Implications • The Kansas State School Board argued that the Theory of Evolution represents a religious view too! • One that rejects the actions of a higher power • The same board voted to allow the teaching of evolution provided the teachers discussed ‘gaps’ in the theory and offered alternative explanations for these gaps • Is this acceptable - both are a matter of faith • Or is this a dangerous trend in US education?

6. What is evolution? • Has two different meaning for biologists • 1) A process • Evolution means change - Biological evolution means change in the characters of a population over generations. • These changes MUST occur at the genetic level • Inherited characters (i.e. head lice example) = evolution • Change in US women's dress size from 8 to 14 over the past 50 years = no evolution • Most people accept that this process occurs • Aristotle was incorrect - he said species had never changed

8. What is evolution? • Has two different meaning for biologists • 2) A theory - The Theory of Evolution • It is unfortunate that the word theory has a completely opposite meaning to the nonscientist verses that formulated by scientists. • It gives the notion of a ‘best guess’ • DEFINITION - All species present on Earth today are descendants of a single common ancestor, and all species represent the product of millions of years of microevolution via natural selection and other modes of evolutionary change.

9. Common Descent • Nearly every biologist accepts that modern species evolved from ancient ones • HOWEVER, recent polls of Americans show that 50% of them do not believe that modern species evolved from common ancestors!

10. Common Descent is a fact! • When Darwin published his book, most Europeans believed that special creation was fact - that God created all species during the 6 days of genesis • As stated in the first book of the Bible - Genesis • It states that little has changes since that time - under 10,000 years ago • The same basic belief is shared by Judaism & Islam

11. Compare • Special Creation vs Common Descent • Special creation involves a supernatural entity - this makes it impossible to test by standard observation involving the material universe • The scientific method cannot be applied to a supernatural entity • One can test some assertions of special creation • 10,000 years • No change in species ever - the static model hypothesis

12. More than two hypothesis • Other hypothesis - somewhere between the two we have been considering exist also - • Transformation hypothesis • Species can change over time • Separate hypothesis • Separate common ancestors which can give rise to different species

17. All acceptable • More polls indicated that American citizens • have about equal belief in all 4 of these hypothesis • as equally reasonable explanations for the origin of biological diversity

18. Kansas Board and the citizen • Most non-scientists believe that the board was right in 1999 • It was right to outlaw the teaching of evolution, to balance between the different theories • Most non-scientists believe that the board was right again in 2005 • Trying to be fair in allowing the consideration of all other hypothesis

19. All is not equal • Most scientists do not consider that the different hypothesis are equal • They base this view on all the current testable evidence • …lets consider this evidence with respect to a very important debate… Are humans really related to apes?

20. Morphology • Carl von Linne - (Carolus Linnaeus) - Swedish doctor • Classified all known life forms into biological diversity based on form • He proposed a two part name • He also formulated a classification system • Linnaeus was himself a believer in the Creation hypothesis

23. Evidence from homology • Similar observable features should similar anatomical and genetic material • This is what is being discovered… • Comparative Anatomy • The concept of homology • Similarity of characteristics that has resulted from common ancestry

25. Anatomy • Most plausible explanation is • Each species inherited the basic structure from the same common ancestor • The process that cause evolution led to their unique modification in each group