What is the Modern Theory of Evolution? What does it state?

Question

What is the Modern Theory of Evolution? What does it state?

Answer 1

In biology, evolution is the process of change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms from one generation to the next. Though changes between generations are relatively minor, differences accumulate with each subsequent generation and can, over time, cause substantial changes in the organisms. Inherited traits come from the genes that are passed on to offspring during reproduction. Mutations in genes can produce new or altered traits in individuals, resulting in the appearance of heritable differences between organisms, but new traits also come from the transfer of genes between populations, as in migration, or between species, in horizontal gene transfer. In species that reproduce sexually, new combinations of genes are produced by genetic recombination, which can increase the variation in traits between organisms. Evolution occurs when these heritable differences become more common or rare in a population, either non-randomly through natural selection or randomly through genetic drift.

Natural selection is a process by which heritable traits that are helpful for survival and reproduction become more common in a population, while harmful traits become more rare. This occurs because individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to reproduce successfully, so that more individuals in the next generation inherit these traits. Over many generations, adaptations occur through a combination of successive, small, random changes in traits, and natural selection of those variants best-suited for their environment. In contrast, genetic drift produces random changes in the frequency of traits in a population. Genetic drift arises from the role chance plays in whether a given individual will survive and reproduce.

One definition of a species is a group of organisms that can reproduce with one another and produce fertile offspring. When a species is separated into populations that are prevented from interbreeding, mutations, genetic drift, and the selection of novel traits cause the accumulation of differences over generations and the emergence of new species.The similarities between organisms suggest that all known species are descended from a common ancestor (or ancestral gene pool) through this process of gradual divergence.

Studies of the fossil record and the diversity of living organisms had convinced most scientists by the mid-nineteenth century that species changed over time. However, the mechanism driving these changes remained unclear until the 1859 publication of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species, detailing the theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin's work soon led to overwhelming acceptance of evolution within the scientific community. In the 1930s, Darwinian natural selection was combined with Mendelian inheritance to form the modern evolutionary synthesis, in which the connection between the units of evolution (genes) and the mechanism of evolution (natural selection) was made. This powerful explanatory and predictive theory has become the central organizing principle of modern biology, providing a unifying explanation for the diversity of life on Earth

Answer 2

The best site to learn about evolution is:

National Academy of Sciences: (Guidebook on Evolution)

http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/evo...

To quote from this source:



"Evolution in the broadest sense explains that what we see today is different from what existed in the past. Galaxies, stars, the solar system, and earth have changed through time, and so has life on earth.

Biological evolution concerns changes in living things during the history of life on earth. It explains that living things share common ancestors. Over time, evolutionary change gives rise to new species. Darwin called this process "descent with modification," and it remains a good definition of biological evolution today."

http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/evo...

Answer 3

It seems that evolution is a paradigm that all scientific research must conform to. In fact, it is not really a theory at all. According to Karl Popper, one of the top 20th century philosophers of science, Darwin's theory of evolution is not scientific, but a "valuable metaphysical research program." He also stated that "treating a hypothesis as unfalsifiable is unscientific." There is no way to falsify evolution; you have to assume that it is true. You cannot sit in a lab for a few million years to see if evolution is occurring, and quite frankly I don't want to do so.

But since evolution has invaded all branches of science, there are now six kinds, or stages, of it.

1. Cosmic Evolution: The Big Bang

2. Chemical Evolution: Elements evolving from hydrogen and helium.

3. Stellar Evolution: Stars, sun, moon, earth, etc.

4. Abiotic Evolution: Life coming from non-living chemicals.

5. Macro-Evolution: The changing of one species to another.

6. Micro-Evolution: Variations within a species.

The sixth one is scientific, but the rest are philosophical. However, many evolutionists like to use examples of the sixth one to prove the other five. When shown problems with first four, the biologists will claim they have nothing to do with evolution. When geologists see problems with 1, 2, 4, and 5 they will claim they have nothing to do with geology. When astronomers see problems with 4 and 5 they will ignore them as irrelevant. But it is a package deal. I wish they would use the logic and reasoning they claim to adore.

hmm... thumbs down? Did I make a mistake somewhere? Is my logic faulty? Did I make an offensive remark? Or is it simply because you don't agree with me?