Originally published 2015-10-30.
Despite being part of the scientific zeitgeist for over 150 years, evolution is still a misunderstood and often muddled concept. 98% of scientists believe that humans have evolved over a long period of time, however evolution still faces a surprising amount of controversy and contention in the world’s culture and politics – such as the notorious issue of teaching evolution in public schools.
“Oh yeah? Well, if we evolved from monkeys, how come monkeys still exist, huh?” Thanks to this infographic from Caleb Trujillo at Molecular Life Sciences some of the main points of confusion about evolution and misunderstanding are explained.
What the 98 per cent figure measures
The figure comes from a Pew Research Center report issued on 29 January 2015, which compared an online survey of members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, carried out in September and October 2014, with a telephone survey of US adults from August 2014. It found that 98% of the scientists said humans have evolved over time, compared with 65% of the public; 31% of the public, but only 2% of the scientists, said humans have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.
Main image credit: Bryan Wright/Flickr. (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Think of a branching family tree
Humans and other living apes share ancestors; modern chimpanzees did not have to disappear for humans to evolve. A branching family tree is therefore a better starting picture than a ladder with people at its top. Different branches continue at the same time. When reading the infographic, ask whether each example describes ancestry, changes within populations or the mechanisms involved, since those are related but distinct questions.
it is a very bad theory...if not a theory, then it is a law. We cant observe evolution, there is no law here. It is a theory.Newton's laws are laws bc you cant prove them or understand them like gravity. All scientific assertions are theories, supported by evidences compatible witht the assertions.
ReplyDeletegeneology is not evolution, which is species changes over time.
survival of the fitest is genetic drift, not descent with modification.
the finches story was proven wrong with molecular genetics.
monkeys cannot be human. They have different numbers of chromosomes.
Human only have 200,000 years on earth. There is not enough selection or time to change from anything that becomes todays humans.
Most "scientists" think evolution theory is a doctrine, like theology. It is rooted to the fact that Darwin himself was a theologian and a Calvinist (that is all his academic training) who believed in pre-destination. (Natural selection concept comes from God's election).
All theories are working hypotheses in science. We know only the surface of it. In science, there is no absolute truth.
Recent molecular studies show many other non-Darwin evolution theories. The more you study, the more you find out how wrong Darwin was.
Evolution does occur but not Darwin's way.