Have you ever stared up at the sky and just thought about how life even came to be? Since the establishment of science, many have questioned how not only the human race came to be, but also how all living things have become what they are today. There are two theories that scientists recognize, which are: creationism and evolution. Both theories have provided distinct answers to this question of where living things originated. However, creationism bases the answer on a belief in a supernatural power that created the universe, plants, and humans. Whereas, evolutionists consider all living things to have the potential to grow and change over time into something different, which is what many scientists consider to be ‘natural selection’. Both theories appear to have the potential answer. These two theories have been subjects of debate by scholars and by man itself because it is asking you to pick sides between science and one's spiritual belief. Yet, this paper will discuss the thought of evolution, and how one seems to outweigh the other by way of facts, regardless of what religion explains.
Some data is in favor of the theory of evolution. The most well-known are fossils that paleontologists have investigated and discovered. Sedimentary rock has given scientists leeway to study fossils in the various layers of the rock. Each layer of rock has different fossils within it, and each layer of rock represents a period. These transitional fossils directly show a blend of characteristics between the species that existed before and the relationship it holds with a species that it has evolved into today. This is just one example supporting the theory that organisms can actually transform into an entirely different new species through adaptation to their environment. Another example that is in favor of evolution would be when a group of paleontologists visited Ellesmere Island. The scientists believed that they would find evidence of an influential moment in the past, just like when Tiktaalik’s bones had been found. This is a 375-million-year-old freshwater organism that would grow to approximately three meters long; this fish had features suited for water, along with other characteristics that were fit for life on land as well. The finding revealed a turning point in the history of planet Earth: When the first fish actually made the transition from water onto land. This example alone could possibly prove evolution as the answer.
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Natural selection, simply stated, is a small collection of organisms that have a higher chance of survival because of a specific trait it has that could give it a better chance to survive in nature depending on the mutation. Consequently, the stronger organism will produce more offspring, and the genes of this organism will show in future generations, transmitting this gene will make or break this population’s success. Sexual reproduction and natural selection are directly correlated because, unlike asexual reproduction which makes a replica of the original organism, sexual reproduction provides a vast selection to choose from. Natural selection incorporates sexual reproduction, allowing the organisms best suited for that particular environment to strive by eliminating organisms that are not adapting fast enough to stay alive. The easiest way to look at it is 'survival of the fittest'. This could also be a way of viewing evolution as the answer.
Natural selection does not just affect animals, it has affected plant life as well. Long ago, people in the Middle East started growing some plants as a food source, such as wheat, instead of only relying on plants that grow in the wild. Early farmers began picking seeds of wheat that had predominantly beneficial qualities. They would then plant these selected seeds during the agricultural season. This happens to be one of the original examples of artificial selection in history. Regardless of knowing what type of influence they might have on future generations of wheat, they indirectly created a crop with characteristics they valued most. Directed evolution was also a technique used within protein engineering, which modifies the process of natural selection to guide proteins toward a defined goal. Instead of evolving organisms with specific traits, their goal was to evolve molecules that are principally superior at transforming plant matter into fuel that can be used as a source of energy. Despite this being a much different case than the selection of wheat, both have proven that natural selection is not just a myth.
In any scientific field, a 'fact' usually references a type of confirmation that can be likely to turn out the same way in a similar situation. Many scientists also tend to utilize the word 'fact' towards a definite explanation that has been established, so that there is not a powerful need to continue testing it. In this aspect, the continuous happening of evolution is a known fact. The facts sustaining it are unbelievably clear. Scientists no longer question whether biological evolution has ever occurred or if it is continuing to occur. As an alternative, these scientists examine the fine points of evolution and how rapidly evolution can really happen.
Evolution against creationism has been a complicated subject ever since it was proposed. Both points of view have credible proof. Creationists normally consider that all organisms were created as distinctive organisms. Evolutionists, on the other hand, deem that life began from single-celled organisms, such as microbes. Then, these microbes evolved into intricate organisms with change over time. In conclusion, despite how questionable this topic is, an abundance of information has paved way for evolution to be the most genuine answer for our existence.
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