...ISU Controversial Issues in World Religions Evolution vs. Creation In society, there are many diverse issues that raise intense controversy. One that is particularly interesting is the ongoing conflict between the world of science and some segments of religious society. This essay will refer to the debate between evolution and creationism which has ranged through the course of human history, but intensified as the science and evolving proofs of evolution are generated. Evolution has proved that Creationist beliefs and their denial defy logic, science and reality. One of the most common questions that humanity tends to ask itself is where we came from and how we came to be. It is inherent to every human being to ask himself about their origin and purpose of their existence. Humanity’s first attempt to answer these questions was religion (Christianity, Judaism, Islamic); however science has introduced an alternative to religion’s so called answer, evolution. The current argument began with an English naturalist by the name of Charles Darwin. Darwin was the first to propose the theory of evolution, which states that mankind, through genetic mutation and natural selection, evolved from a common ancestor over a prolonged period based on natural selection processes. This theory directly defied religious beliefs at the time; more specifically those of the Catholic church which believes in creationism, or in a more general sense intelligent design. Creationism...
Words: 1766 - Pages: 8
...evolved at the same rate as the animals themselves. By sifting through the excrement of cows, horses, elephants, goats, sheep and other herbivorous mammals, researchers were able to analyze and compare the animals' gut ciliates - one-celled microorganisms that are especially important to the digestion process. A five-year study chronicling the excrement and gut fluids of many plant-eating mammals appears in the European Journal of Protistology, where a team of evolutionary biologists, microbiologists and computer scientists from Radboud University Nijmegen in the Netherlands reveal details of a wide range of animal droppings. The researchers make the distinction between herbivores known as "foregut fermenters" and "hindgut fermenters," the former of which digests food in the front part of its gut (the rumen) and the latter digests in the posterior part of the gut, the appendix and large intestine. Ruminant animals such as cows, goats and sheep are foregut fermenters, while horses, elephants and zebras, for example, are hindgut fermenters. The poop used in this study came from around the world, notably from goats, deer and sheep from around Europe, an Asian elephant, and zebras and an elephant from Africa. The researchers preformed a genetic analysis of the ciliates present in the animals' excrement. "Our most important discovery is that ciliates are extremely diverse," said evolutionary biologist Johannes Hackstein. "We hadn't expected that, given their appearance." The analysis...
Words: 407 - Pages: 2
...What is Evolution? Biological evolution is genetic change in a population from one generation to another. The speed and direction of change is variable with different species lines and at different times. Continuous evolution over many generations can result in the development of new varieties and species. Likewise, failure to evolve in response to environmental changes can, and often does, lead to extinction. When scientists speak of evolution as a theory they do not mean that it is a mere speculation. It is a theory in the same sense as the propositions that the earth is round rather than flat or that our bodies are made of atoms are theories. Most people would consider such fundamental theories to be sufficiently tested by empirical evidence to conclude that they are indeed facts. As a result of the massive amount of evidence for biological evolution accumulated over the last two centuries, we can safely conclude that evolution has occurred and continues to occur. All life forms, including humans, evolved from earlier species, and all still living species of organisms continue to evolve today. They are not unchanging end-products. For those who have difficulty in accepting evolution because of what they perceive as contradictions with their fundamental religious beliefs, it may be useful to distinguish the ultimate origin of life from its later evolution. Many, if not most, biological scientists accept that primordial life on earth began as a result of chance natural...
Words: 2318 - Pages: 10
...Theory of Evolution Charles Darwin was a British Scientist who lived from 1809 to 1882. He laid down the foundation of modern evolutionary theory with his concept of the development of life through the slow working process of natural selection. Darwin started to make notes about this theory in 1836 and in 1838 he had arrived at a sketch of a theory of evolution through natural selection. It was not until 1858 that his theory was first published in a paper. Darwin’s theory states that as plants or animals spread to new areas, or as the conditions change different variations would be favored in different places. This would mean these variations would spread through the populations of the plants or animals. Over time this would finally lead to a development of new species. This theory was explained in the book ‘The Origin of Species’, which describes his studies on the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean. He noticed that the species on the islands varied slightly from each island and were adapted to local conditions. The reaction to this theory was immediate. Biologists argued that Darwin could not prove his hypothesis. Others criticized his ideas of variation and how he could not prove how these variations came about or how they were passed on. This part of his theory was not answered until the birth of modern genetics in the early 20th century. In fact many scientists had doubts about this theory for 50-80 years. The most publicized attacks came from religious opponents who...
Words: 5169 - Pages: 21
...: or, The preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life’ by Charles Darwin (1860) was the first book to put forward the scientific theory that populations evolve over a period of generations by the process of natural selection. The first part of the book described observations in support of common descent. One such observation is that of the homologous structures possessed by a wide variety of animals. Darwin used the fact that lizards, bats, whales, birds, frogs cats and even humans all contain a pent dactyl limb to support his theory that all life is descended from one common ancestor. As he says himself , “What can be more curious than that the hand of a man, formed for grasping, that of a mole for digging, the leg of the horse, the paddle of the porpoise, and the wing of the bat, should all be constructed on the same pattern, and should include the same bones, in the same relative positions?”(Darwin 1860) Another observation of common descent from the first part of Darwin’s book is that of convergence of form. This is the presence of similar biological traits in members of different species. Darwin illustrated this using the example of the finches. He observed a variety of forms encountered in related species that converge upon forms in unrelated species adapted to similar environments( Dr John Finarelli 2012). The similarity in embryology between members of different species is another example of an observation used by Darwin to support the theory of common...
Words: 1114 - Pages: 5
...theory of evolution by natural selection through his book called ‘On the Origin of Species’. The book was released in 1859 and it explained the process of how organisms changed over time through the result of changes in heritable physical or behavioural traits. These changes allow an organism to adapt to the environment that it inhabits so that the organism’s chances of survival improve and produce more offspring (Than, 2015). However, biological evolution does not simply mean a change over time. It is believed that the central idea of biological evolution is that all organisms on Earth share a common ancestor (Understanding Evolution, 2015).The major principles of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection...
Words: 1474 - Pages: 6
...central Pennsylvania, but in October 2004 when the local school board proposed a slight alteration to the high school biology curriculum a fault line erupted between those who think of intelligent design as science and something that should be taught alongside evolution, and those who think of it as religion disguised as science. As a science teacher myself, I was very interested in this subject, and how school districts nationwide are pushing initiatives recently to put intelligent design in their biology classes. These school districts are struggling with the dilemma of whether or not to teach creationism as an alternative view to evolution theory. If, as many scientific creationists believe, God's message is important in defining the content, aims, and conditions of educational practice, then creationism does belong in the classroom. However, those who propose that creationism is not science, and that "creation science" is a misnomer, are opposed to the intervention of religion into the public educational program; after all, public educational programs should be separate from concerns of the church. The Scientific Argument against Intelligent Design “Evolution has three core, defining elements, life forms change over time; they all descended from one or a few common ancestors; and natural selection produces these effects” (Slack 2007). But what exactly is Intelligent Design? Intelligent Design is a recent theory proposed...
Words: 1684 - Pages: 7
...James might be influenced by the linear evolutionary theory, which goes along with the idea of co-evalness. To some anthropologists, it use to be thought that humans evolved from an uncivilized, cave-man to a modern and civilized person. It is sometimes believed that this transition into modernism occurs at different rates thus tribes or groups of humans that do not live in complete modern lives, they are behind and are completely uncivilized. This relates to co-evalness because by thinking that the people are living in different times while inhabiting the same area, they are denying the thought of co-evalness. To live in co-evalness, James as well as the Brazilian government has to believe that they are at the same point in evolution; the Kayapo aren’t the uncivilized group while the Brazilians are civilized and modern group. However, rather than the linear evolutionary theory being thought as a binary, it should be at least thought as a fluid scale. The Kayapo aren’t completely modern but they do understand the technologies being used and if they were to decide to use it, they can. The thought of the linear theory being a scale is unthinkable to those who are use to separating things into two...
Words: 1040 - Pages: 5
...Future of Modernization William Watkins SOC / 120 January 22, 2012 Brenda Miller As we begin to ponder the future of modernization, and the possible consequences that are apt to occur, perhaps we should first revisit the definition of modernization. To this end we can start by saying that modernization is thought of as a concept that states that the development of societies can be considered as a standard evolutionary pattern that has a tendency to stimulate growth. It can also be considered as the concept that refers to the process where society goes through several stages, including industrialization, urbanization, and various other social changes, that tend to completely transform the lives of individuals. One must first take into consideration that modernization, taken in-and-of- itself, should not be considered either good or bad. Modernization is not limited to the geographical bounds of the United States but actually affects people worldwide, and has wide ranging effects including politically, socially, economically, and environmentally throughout the entire populated world. Of course, as in most things, there are positive aspects of modernization as well as several consequences. Perhaps it could be posited that Industrialization began the social changes in the United States society that could be referred to as the modernization of the United States. Although there were many changes before industrialization they were perhaps not as wide-ranging or...
Words: 1241 - Pages: 5
...Is Evolution True? Alden Vasquez EVOLUTION – Your Inner Fish Professor Michael Wilder 16 August 2015 Is Evolution True? I’m a raised catholic brought up in the faith that God created all heaven and earth, and on earth he placed us (humans) created perfect as His reflection. To add more skepticism about evolution, I’m pursuing a degree in finance/accounting subjects that have nothing to do with biology, science, or geology. Then why did I take this class you might ask? An easy answer will be that my student advisor recommended it and I didn’t think about it and just enrolled in it; but I look at things differently and always trying to find the positive side, I believe that it was meant for me to take this class, I needed to be exposed out of my comfort zone to a subject that if it wouldn’t have been this way I would have probably remained ignorant all my life. With that being said, I will venture on this essay to explain what I’ve learned about evolution, talk about evidence that we have found on the rocks including documented changes through the evolution of species like vestiges, embryos and bad designs. I will talk about the engine of evolution, given that some variations are heritable and that they can be passed from parents to offspring in the process of reproduction, including evolution by natural selection. While talking about reproduction, I’ll explain how sex drives evolution going back to the origin of species and ending in the present time with...
Words: 3156 - Pages: 13
...IDENTIFY ROCKS OF THIS AGE (DESCRIBE WHAT THESE FOSSILS ARE AS WELL) | ABSOLUTE AGE RANGE (MYA) | MAJOR GEOLOGIC EVENTS | CENOZOIC | Quaternary | Evidence of Homo Sapiens Sapiens and early types of plants.Pleistocene conifers, mosses, flowering plants, insects, mollusks, birds, mammals (sloths, bison, sabre-toothed cats, mammoths, early human hunters). Diatoms, foraminifera, and plant pollen. | 1.8 MYA to today. | Yet the Holocene has witnessed all of humanity's recorded history and the rise and fall of all its civilizations. It was during the Pleistocene that the most recent episodes of global cooling, or ice ages, took place. Temperate zones were alternately covered by glaciers during cool periods. The Pleistocene also saw the evolution and expansion of our own species, Homo sapiens. | | Tertiary | Grazing mammals, such as members of the perissodactyl and artiodactyls diversified in the Miocene and Pliocene.Long legged grazers.Chalicotherium , perissodactyls. artiodactylsHyaenodon horridus, elephants, horses, various grassesUngulates such as Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla, Vivveravus | 65 to 1.8 MYA. | The cooling and drying of the global environment may have contributed to the enormous spread of grasslands in this time. The change in vegetation undoubtedly was a major factor in the rise of long-legged grazers who came to live in these areas. The Panamanian land-bridge between North and South America appeared during the Pliocene, allowing migrations of plants and animals....
Words: 895 - Pages: 4
...Homo Erectus Through Paper The study of our evolution is very much an open book, which seems to me is having its chapters being written out of order and has no ending. Because we are trying to trace history that there is no history of, it is like we are trying to solve a mystery and the whole world is our crime scene, and oh yeah it's dozens of feet under ground! There seems to be theory after theory and many skeptics, but I believe it to be much simpler than it all seems. The first trace of humanity all comes back to Africa and that is where it all began, as the environment evolved so did we, into different species dependent on natural selection, ultimately ending with us, well for now. If you had what it took you would prevail, if not you died out. Once the woodlands begin to die we traveled to survive. Sure some probably stayed for others emigrated out of Africa to find better food sources. It is true with any animal that you follow the food. The findings at Dmanisi seemed to shake up what we thought was true at one point. Inside of layers of basalt and ash, a team of archaeologists found thousands of stone tools animal fossils and four skulls, two of which were considered "The Old Man and the teenager" (family ties). What was interesting about the findings was, one they seemed to be a hybrid between a Homo habilis and Homo erectus, and two their age! The layers of basalt and ash surrounding the fossils was 1.75 million years old. That's half a million years...
Words: 1902 - Pages: 8
...ology Chapter 13 Lecture Outline Introduction Clown, Fool, or Simply Well Adapted? A. Review: Evolution is the central theme of biology. Evolutionary adaptation is a universal characteristic of living things (see Module 1.6). NOTE: More than any other idea in biology, evolutionary theory serves to tie the discipline together. T. Dobzhansky: “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” B. If you look at any organism critically, you are first struck by the differences from other organisms. 1. Further observation often reveals that an organism’s features show some relationship to where the organism lives and what it does in its environment. 2. The blue-footed booby has enormous webbed feet, an oil producing gland that keeps the booby afloat, a nostril that can close under water that prevents water from entering the lungs, a gland that secrets salt from consumed sea water, and a torpedo-like body—all adaptations that make life on the sea feasible. I. Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Module 13.1 A sea voyage helped Darwin frame his theory of evolution. A. Awareness of each organism’s adaptations and how they fit the particular conditions of its environment helps us appreciate the natural world (Figure 13.1A). B. Early Greek philosophers held various views. Anaximander (about 2,500 years ago) suggested that life arose in water and that simpler forms...
Words: 3614 - Pages: 15
...WHEN GUESTS ARRIVE AT THE YERKES Regional Primate Research Center in Georgia, where I work, they usually pay a visit to the chimpanzees. And often, when she sees them approaching the compound, an adult female chimpanzee named Georgia will hurry to the spigot to collect a mouthful of water. She'll then casually mingle with the rest of the colony behind the mesh fence, and not even the sharpest observer will notice anything unusual. If necessary, Georgia will wait minutes, with her lips closed, until the visitors come near. Then there will be shrieks, laughs, jumps-and sometimes falls-when she suddenly sprays them. I have known quite a few apes that are good at surprising people, naive and otherwise. Heini Hediger, the great Swiss zoo biologist, recounts how he-being prepared to meet the challenge and paying attention to the ape's every move-got drenched by an experienced chimpanzee. I once found myself in a similar situation with Georgia; she had taken a drink from the spigot and was sneaking up to me. I looked her straight in the eye and pointed my finger at her, warning in Dutch, "I have seen you!" She immediately stepped back, let some of the water dribble from her mouth, and swallowed the rest. I certainly do not wish to claim that she understands Dutch, but she must have sensed that I knew what she was up to, and that I was not going to be an easy target. Now, no doubt even a casual reader will have noticed that in describing Georgia's actions, I've implied human qualities...
Words: 2551 - Pages: 11
...are related to one another. Myths Directions: Choose two examples for each type of myth and identify the pieces of literature, such as a Shakespeare play, in which the examples are found. Greek Myths |Myth 1: |Literature it’s found in: | |“In my opinion mortals have created their gods with the dress and|XENOPHANES, fragment 21 B 14-16 (Diels-Kranz) | |voice and appearance of mortals. If cattle and horses had hands | | |and wanted to draw or carve as men do, the cattle would show | | |their gods in the form of cattle and horses would show them as | | |horses, with the...
Words: 2006 - Pages: 9
