Evolution

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses that by looking at fossil records over the history of life on earth, it is possible to see a progression from the earliest microscopic fossils three and a half billion years ago, which were similar to blue-green algae and bacteria, to homo sapiens that live today and came into being at least 50,000 years ago. The writer maintains that most scientists believe that this progression is what Charles Darwin hypothesized as an evolution of life that continued or died out due to natural selection, which consisted of many small gradual changes as the organisms adjusted to their environment. The writer notes that it is human nature, however, to continually see how new scientific research or even personal values equate with a theory. The writer concludes that in the future, one could actually say that the study of evolution will evolve as new information is found through advances in science such as genetics and brain imaging, as well as ongoing archaeological and geological finds.

Outline:
Argument One: Saltation
Argument Two: Punctuated Equilibria
Argument Three: Creationism
References Cited

From the Paper:

"Darwin's Theory of Evolution states that life evolved through natural selection gradually over millions of years. Small changes eventually led to new species. According to natural selection, animals, organisms and plants adapt to their environment. This is called artificial selection, because it is nature not humans that chooses the animals that multiply. Random chance determines the traits that are passed on from one generation to another."
"For example, in England prior to the Industrial Revolution, peppered moths were light colored with tiny dark patches that were the same color as the lichen on which they landed. Because they were this color, they could blend in with the lichen and not be noticed by birds and eaten. Darker moths that were more easily seen by their prey were eaten before they could reproduce. However, when the lichen started to become darker because of the soot in the air from the increasing industry, the light-colored moths began to stand out. Now they were vulnerable, instead of the darker moths. The dark moths became more abundant, and the white moths became a rarity."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bailey, Marilyn. Evolution: Opposing Viewpoints. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1990.
• Benton, M. J., Wills, M. and Hitchin, R. "Quality of the fossil record through time." (2000) Nature 403: 534
• Gould, Stephen. "Is a new and general theory of evolution emerging?" Paleobiology, (1980) 6.1:119-130.
• Gould, Stephen. "Genesis vs. Geology." Atlantic Monthly. (1982) 250.3: 10-17.
• Taylor, Gordon Rattray. The Great Evolution Mystery. London: Abacus, Sphere Books, 1984.

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