Proof for Evolution.
Posted on: March 12, 2009 - 12:43am
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Proof for Evolution.
This topic might be completely useless, if it is, feel free to delete it.
But while I know there is proof for evolution, when my brother asked me what proof is there of evolution, I didn't have a clear and concise argument as to what to say.
So my question is, if you were asked the same question, what would you say? In the shortest/clearest way possible? I dont wanna lose my train of thought when someone asks me this in the future in any debate or just in conversation.
''Black Holes result from God dividing the universe by zero.''
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Well, pretty much every area of science which touches the question reinforces the theory of evolution. If I were preparing an argument to pull out at a moment's notice, I would mention that geological evidence, genetic evidence and morphological evidence(to mention a few) all point to evolutionary development. Give some examples of how they relate, such as the regularity of the types of fossils in particular strata, the development of genes and the redevelopment of existing systems(such as the same genes developing gills in fish and the thyroid in humans). You could also mention modern examples of evolution in single celled organisms, such as nylonase and MRSA. Being able to demonstrate the "unbalanced" ecologies that exist on islands(where it appears that a small set of migratory species unwent speciation while filling in niches in a new environment) would be a nice touch, tying in with Darwin's observations.
In short, pick a handful of very clear examples and learn them well. Look up how creationists have attacked them, and see how scientists have defended them. 90% of the time, this would be sufficient, as most creationists will get their arguments from a handful of sources, and won't have a response past the talking points they've memorized. Of course, don't fall into the flip side of this trap. There is no substitute for knowing the material to the best of your ability. And don't ever try to cover up some gap in your knowledge with bluster. An admission that you don't know and will get back to them on some point is usually preferable to getting caught in some untenable position because you don't want to lose an argument.
All that is necessary for the triumph of good is that evil men do nothing.
DG's articles are all under editing, but if you search in the "evolution of life" sub-forum, you can probably find what you need. I should point out that there isn't one argument that constitutes "proof" of evolution. However, the most overwhelming evidence, to me, is how qualitative timelines created by various dating methods match perfectly. For example, we use radiometric dating to date Triceratops fossils to the late Cretacious and the fossil of some mammal to the the end of the Tertiary. In the geological column, the mammal would always be above the Triceratops, separated by a boundary representing the mass extinction that occurred. You also, then, observe a progression of traits and genetic markers following this same timeline, etc.
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/comdesc/
Our revels now are ended. These our actors, | As I foretold you, were all spirits, and | Are melted into air, into thin air; | And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, | The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, | The solemn temples, the great globe itself, - Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, | And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, | Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff | As dreams are made on, and our little life | Is rounded with a sleep. - Shakespeare
You should check out this series of YouTube videos by cdk007 for plenty of good arguments -
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=F626DD5B2C1F0A87
Also check out this series by thunderf00t and friends if you want to go on the attack -
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=AC3481305829426D
There are a few things one can point to for proof of evolution. One is a species of moth that nearly simultaneously changed it's colour species-wide within a generation or two. Another is a species of bacteria which evolved the capacity to consume plastic, which was invented in the early 1900's, and did not exist in nature before then. And then there's this:
http://www.talkorigins.org/indexcc/CA/CA202.html
Enlightened Atheist, Gaming God.
Honestly, I would tend to be quite careful with that one. While there are mountains of proof, finding the one clear statement that will kill the other side is not really going to happen. There are several reasons for this but the one that is most relevant to a quick answer is that the proof is not simply derived from three or four sentences.
What I usually do with that one is to turn it back on the person asking the question. I might ask them what they would consider to be proof of evolution and work from there.
I tend to find that such people have only learned to think in terms of “each as it's own kind” and that there is as much in common between men and apes as there is between lizards and dogs. So that tends to be what they want. A massive change in a single generation that nobody who thinks about this stuff would seriously entertain.
Then too, why is it your job to prove evolution? If your brother doesn't want to accept the matter then what is he replacing it with? How does he suppose to prove his view on matters?
=
*points at crocoduck*
I know that the fact that I might get lost while explanining the proof of evolution has no effect on the fact that it is proven, and I know I don't ''have'' to prove it either. completely agree.
But for my brother, you misunderstood, he's 12 and he really just wanted to know the proof. I was able to explain everything, just not right away. He's an atheist as well.
''Black Holes result from God dividing the universe by zero.''
I definitely agree.
In order for such a conversation to be productive at all, the first thing to do would be to agree on what evolution is. The thing is, if your brother is skeptical of evolution, especially if he's asking for "proof" of it, he probably still has some false impressions of what the theory actually states and predicts.
Our revels now are ended. These our actors, | As I foretold you, were all spirits, and | Are melted into air, into thin air; | And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, | The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, | The solemn temples, the great globe itself, - Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, | And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, | Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff | As dreams are made on, and our little life | Is rounded with a sleep. - Shakespeare
Oh, cool, that's different. Show him some fossils.
Our revels now are ended. These our actors, | As I foretold you, were all spirits, and | Are melted into air, into thin air; | And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, | The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, | The solemn temples, the great globe itself, - Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve, | And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, | Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff | As dreams are made on, and our little life | Is rounded with a sleep. - Shakespeare
Is this what they were talking about on the Nightline debate