Totaled 3/29 Mr F

Closed

Definition of Evolution according to Webster Dictionary : a process of change in a certain direction : unfolding b : the action or an instance of forming and giving something off : emission c (1) : a process of continuous change from a lower, simpler, or worse to a higher, more complex, or better state : growth (2) : a process of gradual and relatively peaceful social, political, and economic advance d : something evolved

Totaled 3/20/10 Mr F

Evolution is not a study about the origin of life.

In fact, evolution is a study of how groups of life adapt to their enviroment through many generations of species. Over time, the traits that organisms inherit change. Evolution studies these changed traits.

Definition added Mr F

There are many ideas behind evolution and how we came to be what we are today. However the definintion of a theory is a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact. This means that it is not necessarily one-hundred percent true (as we discussed in class.) This is the casual definition of theory as a synonym of hypthesis. This video expains some of the many theories of evolution. (when it mentions creationism keep in mind that this is refering to religions who do not believe in evolution and that we were placed here by a supreme being.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRHbp32QAWA

Below is a typical, popular depiction of a Darwin-esque transition of evolution.  And it is absolutely incorrect. This dipicts  a sequential  chimp to man not common ancestry!

This video talks about some of the factors that went into the evolution of man.

Evolution is technically defined as: "a gradual process in which something changes into a different and usually more complex or better form." As it is most famously used, "evolution" is the process by which a population changes an organism becomes more sophisticated over time and in response to its environment. The Theory of Evolution is currently the most popular concept of how life reached its current state. Evolution as a biological mechanism is driven by natural selection. This theory is favored by many scientists to explain phenomena in nature, so much so that it is generally assumed as factual in most studies. It is no more popular then the theory of gravity. There are no scientific alternatives to the organic theory of evolution. Mr F

          All species go through evolution or else they would not be able to survive.  As time goes by, everything co-evolves.  If pollution starts to become a much greater problem, animals and plants that can handle the pollution will survive while the ones that cannot will die.  This creates evolution, with the naturally selected species going on a living.

Evolution has several important components: Natural Selection, Macro-evolution, and Micro-evolution. Evolution as a theory existed long before any evidence for its components was recorded. Scientific studies eventually were able to interpret data through an evolutionary viewpoint and link these core concepts into the modern theory of evolution.

This website leads to mor einfomation on the process of evolution as well as Darwin, survival, extinction, change and sex

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/

to me this picture is a good representation of how everything is derived from everything else

Darwins Theory of Evolution:

Darwin's Theory of Evolution - The Premise

Darwin's Theory of Evolution is the widely held notion that all life is related and has descended from a common ancestor: the birds and the bananas, the fishes and the flowers -- all related. Darwin's general theory presumes the development of life from non-life and stresses a purely naturalistic (undirected) "descent with modification". That is, complex creatures evolve from more simplistic ancestors naturally over time. In a nutshell, as random genetic mutations occur within an organism's genetic code, the beneficial mutations are preserved because they aid survival -- a process known as "natural selection." These beneficial mutations are passed on to the next generation. Over time, beneficial mutations accumulate and the result is an entirely different organism (not just a variation of the original, but an entirely different creature).

Darwin's Theory of Evolution - Natural Selection

While Darwin's Theory of Evolution is a relatively young archetype, the evolutionary worldview itself is as old as antiquity. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Anaximander postulated the development of life from non-life and the evolutionary descent of man from animal. Charles Darwin simply brought something new to the old philosophy -- a plausible mechanism called "natural selection." Natural selection acts to preserve and accumulate minor advantageous genetic mutations. Suppose a member of a species developed a functional advantage (it grew wings and learned to fly). Its offspring would inherit that advantage and pass it on to their offspring. The inferior (disadvantaged) members of the same species would gradually die out, leaving only the superior (advantaged) members of the species. Natural selection is the preservation of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild. Natural selection is the naturalistic equivalent to domestic breeding. Over the centuries, human breeders have produced dramatic changes in domestic animal populations by selecting individuals to breed. Breeders eliminate undesirable traits gradually over time. Similarly, natural selection eliminates inferior species gradually over time.

Darwin's Theory of Evolution - Slowly But Surely...

Darwin's Theory of Evolution is a slow gradual process. Darwin wrote, "…Natural selection acts only by taking advantage of slight successive variations; she can never take a great and sudden leap, but must advance by short and sure, though slow steps." Thus, Darwin conceded that, "If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down." Such a complex organ would be known as an "irreducibly complex system". An irreducibly complex system is one composed of multiple parts, all of which are necessary for the system to function. If even one part is missing, the entire system will fail to function. Every individual part is integral. Thus, such a system could not have evolved slowly, piece by piece. The common mousetrap is an everyday non-biological example of irreducible complexity. It is composed of five basic parts: a catch (to hold the bait), a powerful spring, a thin rod called "the hammer," a holding bar to secure the hammer in place, and a platform to mount the trap. If any one of these parts is missing, the mechanism will not work. Each individual part is integral. The mousetrap is irreducibly complex.

Darwin's Theory of Evolution - A Theory In Crisis

Darwin's Theory of Evolution is a theory in crisis in light of the tremendous advances we've made in molecular biology, biochemistry and genetics over the past fifty years. We now know that there are in fact tens of thousands of irreducibly complex systems on the cellular level. Specified complexity pervades the microscopic biological world. Molecular biologist Michael Denton wrote, "Although the tiniest bacterial cells are incredibly small, weighing less than 10^-12 grams, each is in effect a veritable micro-miniaturized factory containing thousands of exquisitely designed pieces of intricate molecular machinery, made up altogether of one hundred thousand million atoms, far more complicated than any machinery built by man and absolutely without parallel in the non-living world."

And we don't need a microscope to observe irreducible complexity. The eye, the ear and the heart are all examples of irreducible complexity, though they were not recognized as such in Darwin's day. Nevertheless, Darwin confessed, "To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree."

http://anthro.palomar.edu/evolve/evolve_3.htm---> This link explains evolution in detail, and many different pieces of evidence used to support it and why they work as evidence.

I believe this represents evolution very well and portrays the eras and in illustration depicts great examples of what happened in those eras.