[_ Old Earth _] What is the best proof for evolution?

[Dave Slayer]

What is the best proof for evolution?

 

[lordkalvan]

What is the best proof for evolution?

I think you mean evidence rather than proof. That evidence comes from many different sources and the fact that it all converges in support of the current understanding of evolutionary theory is persuasive that the understanding and theory are correct. The sources of that evidence include molecular biology - e.g. genetic sequencing the observed result that organisms more closely related phylogenetically have a greater degree of sequence similarity; comparative anatomy; the fossil record; geographical distribution; comparative physiology and biochemistry; evo-devo; and a number of other fields.

 

[Dave Slayer]

What is the best thing about evolution?

What is the best thing about evolution?

 

[John]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

The ability to adapt.

 

[GojuBrian]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

It gives people a reason to believe we are smarter than we really are.

 

[Barbarian]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

What an odd question. It's like asking "what is the best thing about gravity?"

 

[lordkalvan]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

What an odd question. It's like asking "what is the best thing about gravity?"

Helps keep girls' skirts down? Er, hang on - that's one of the worst things! :snicker

 

[coelacanth]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

What is the best thing about evolution?

I'm going to go with its explanatory power as well as its usefulness in application to areas of medicine and engineering. Can't decide.

I think that it may have been Dobzhansky who first said "Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution". I would entirely agree that there has never been a rival with the same explanatory power, not to mention the mountains of evidence. Application to medicine allows us to understand, for example, the rapid evolution of bacteria and viruses in order to combat and prevent both the spread and virulence of disease-causing microbes. Applications from mathematics has recently been shown to have the ability to use evolutionary algorithms in computer-generated designing to achieve complexity and utility of structure in designing/engineering.

There are plenty more, but that's what came to mind first.

 

[Adullam]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

It's amazing what rocks can do if you give them several zillion years! :yes

 

[lordkalvan]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

It's amazing what rocks can do if you give them several zillion years! :yes

What's a zillion? And who said anything about rocks? The theory of evolution applies to living organisms; it does not address abiogenesis, although certain conclusions about abiogenesis seem to be implied by the consequences of evolutionary theory, for example the origin of life (as we know it) on Earth from a single common ancestor.

 

[coelacanth]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

It's amazing what rocks can do if you give them several zillion years! :yes

What's a zillion? And who said anything about rocks? The theory of evolution applies to living organisms; it does not address abiogenesis,

lordkalvan is right about that. Evolutionary biologists tend to be very inquisitive about life's origins, but ideas about inanimate matter becoming living things is not contained within the theory of evolution. Evolution, in the biological sciences, addresses changes in living things.

Research in abiogenesis, however, is very fascinating and has yielded some amazing things regarding the self-organizational properties of non-living things.

 

[John]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

coelacanth is correct, however there is still no concrete evidence of life from non life.

 

[Barbarian]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

coelacanth is correct, however there is still no concrete evidence of life from non life.

Hmmm... God thinks there is.

Gen. 1:24 And God said: Let the earth bring forth the living creature in its kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth, according to their kinds. And it was so done.

Abiogenesis is just science verifying the details. But (of course) evolution isn't about the origio of life.

 

[coelacanth]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

coelacanth is correct, however there is still no concrete evidence of life from non life.

Quite true, no concrete evidence, but astounding findings and recent developments in research that is ongoing. I am having trouble finding it, but I recently watched a video of a college lecture on the topic. If anyone is interested, I could continue searching, but it is pretty technical in the chemistry he describes.

 

[coelacanth]

Re: What is the best thing about evolution?

I posted the video I was referring to here:

viewtopic.php?f=19&t=38076&p=458994#p458994