Question to challenge Pure Evolution Theories?

Question

I have an issue with pure evolution and natural selection. If everything was left up to natural and sexual selection, then shouldn't we be able to pick out every single human trait and characteristic and show an evolutionary reason for us having it? If they already have does anyone know where I can find a list or something explaining various traits?

Answer 1

Just a thought.

You can question established science because it doesn't appear to suit your understanding.

Or:

you can learn enough to understand that with which you find difficulties.

It is probably always better to improve our knowledge base as opposed to attempting to refute that which science had accepted in peer review.

Evolution is fact; if you don't like it...study...enlightenment will eventually arrive.

Answer 2

No, it's not the case that each trait is specifically selected for, some are sort of side-effects of things that were selected for; some are left-overs of of other things; some are happenstance (I THINK 5 fingers and toes is one of these).

If you understood evolution, you wouldn't have this problem with it.

The other problem with what you wrote is that, just because we haven't already figured out each thing's purpose, doesn't mean the purposes don't exist. This is also untrue. Requiring scientists to have figured every teeny detail completely before you accept their findings about anything is silly. You'd have to reject all of science, as they're still learning about just about everything in ever-teenier detail.

Answer 3

there are a lot of studies done out there. for instance look at Evolutionary psychology. It is all actually pretty interesting. I dont know if there is a list explaining various traits but I am sure given enough thought you could figure some of it out yourself or at least look into research and find answers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionar...

Answer 4

You might not be able to understand the function of everything but it was vetted in the processes of natural selection.  I think you are assuming that we have more knowledge and understanding than we really do.  We are just beginning to understand particular traits and their underlying functions and advantages.

Answer 5

You missed the "nature v nurture" issue. Are traits and characteristics solely due to our genes or our culture and upbringing?

Answer 6

I wondered on this subject before and yes everything can be explained.  What you are thinking about are "innate" or inborn. We dream, so do dogs, we say words, so do some birds.  We play, so do most other animals. We love, so do cats (sometimes too much).  All of our actions are a part of nature and could be, if the situations were right, eventually be done by other animals.  There really isn't a good list of the innate, people argue over this subject and no one wants to be corrected by making such a list. I mean you could put eating as innate but it is more of a biological need than a psychological one, yet it does cross over when people eat for other than biological need.  

Here is a site that you might find interesting:

http://www.humanistsofutah.org/2003/AreH...

I believe there use to be a Wikipedia site with a list but I can't find it now, like I said someone makes a list and it always get shot down.

Answer 7

well, yes and no..

part of evolution is "random mutation".. this is necessary for the survival of a species because we can never plan what traits may be advantageous in the future... so there are existing characteristics which dont have an evolutionary purpose YET... they may or may not have one in the future...

so.. because evolution is never "complete", we cant explain ALL of our characteristics through their evolutionary purpose...

however, SOME traits can be explained in terms of their advantages (such as bipedalism, stereoscopic vision, homeostasis, etc)... i dont know of a website where it lists and explains them (although one probably exists), but I bet you could find it in an anthropology textbook about evolution...

Answer 8

That is pretty much true and we can find an evolutionary reason for every trait I can think of.

If you look at a section of mitochondrial DNA that doesn't code for protein, we are 91% similar to a chimp.  The odds of that occurring randomly for the over a thousand base pairs they have sequenced is one over ten raised to the several hundredth power.  Multiply those odds with most species now sequenced, which supports the fossil record, and it is beyond silly to suggest all animals don't share common ancestors. We share an ancestor with chimps.  Propose a theory that gets around that FACT without evolution.

Answer 9

we shouldnt necessarily be able to pick out every single human trait and show an evolutionary reason for us having it because . . . just because .

its too complicated to explain lols read other peoples' answers !