The final test of evolution
Sex and violence
Greg Karber
Issue date: 12/5/08 Section: Opinion
Since the beginning of life on Earth, natural selection (along with gene flow and genetic drift) has guided the evolution of animals. Some people might disagree, but some people think that Eskimos have 400 words for snow, that they can get rich by calling a number on television, that American Idol is real and fair, that people only use 10 percent of their brain, that hair grows back thicker after shaved, that Elvis is still alive, or that Iraq had something to do with 9/11.
I have an uncle who thinks the moon landing was faked, that the footage was shot in a studio in Nevada, and that everyone involved was sworn to a secrecy so strict that not one of them broke it, especially not Neil Armstrong, the actor cast as the first man on the moon.
This doesn't mean the moon landing was faked; it just means I have a crazy uncle.
Similarly, the concept of evolution is not in doubt. Nobody who knows anything about the fossil record, science or logical reasoning doubts that animals have changed over time. It's an established fact. The only real question is how Darwin answered this with natural selection, and although his theory has been tweaked since then, it still remains as the only accepted theory to explain evolution.
Basically, natural selection is the principle that creatures that are more fit to survive and have babies pass on their genes at a higher rate than less fit creatures. Sometimes, fitness is the result of some new-fangled food-gathering system (like giraffe necks, for reaching those hard-to-eat areas) or increased protection from predators (like, say, a penguin's ability to blend in with the guests at a formal dinner party).
Other times, it's a bit stranger.
For example, the most physically fit animal alive today is not fit because of its longer lifespan, more fruitful loins or its ability to make scary faces that frighten predators. No, it's so fit because it's so darn tasty.
I'm talking, of course, about chickens.
I have an uncle who thinks the moon landing was faked, that the footage was shot in a studio in Nevada, and that everyone involved was sworn to a secrecy so strict that not one of them broke it, especially not Neil Armstrong, the actor cast as the first man on the moon.
This doesn't mean the moon landing was faked; it just means I have a crazy uncle.
Similarly, the concept of evolution is not in doubt. Nobody who knows anything about the fossil record, science or logical reasoning doubts that animals have changed over time. It's an established fact. The only real question is how Darwin answered this with natural selection, and although his theory has been tweaked since then, it still remains as the only accepted theory to explain evolution.
Basically, natural selection is the principle that creatures that are more fit to survive and have babies pass on their genes at a higher rate than less fit creatures. Sometimes, fitness is the result of some new-fangled food-gathering system (like giraffe necks, for reaching those hard-to-eat areas) or increased protection from predators (like, say, a penguin's ability to blend in with the guests at a formal dinner party).
Other times, it's a bit stranger.
For example, the most physically fit animal alive today is not fit because of its longer lifespan, more fruitful loins or its ability to make scary faces that frighten predators. No, it's so fit because it's so darn tasty.
I'm talking, of course, about chickens.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 5
Dr. A.E. Edgeworth
posted 12/06/08 @ 9:28 AM CST
You stated: "Similarly, the concept of evolution is not in doubt. Nobody who knows anything about the fossil record, science or logical reasoning doubts that animals have changed over time. (Continued…)
Dr Milton Wainwright
posted 12/06/08 @ 12:04 PM CST
This article states the most commonly repeated myth in the history of science-namely that Charles Darwin (or Alfred Wallace for that matter)originated the theory of natural selection. (Continued…)
Laura Achhireddy
posted 12/06/08 @ 2:14 PM CST
Oh, Mr. Karber! What is the world of academe coming to when doctors of philosophy cannot recognize/accept satire and and feel they must bludgeon an undergrad with their doctoral creds instead of depending on the sound logic of their arguments to sway readers? Perhaps a Zen koan is in order: If one posts without a Ph. (Continued…)
Bet the NFL Super Bowl
posted 12/08/08 @ 11:11 AM CST
Great article on evolution.
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