Evolution - Paper Example

Introduction

One of the most contentious issues about human existence is the origin of man. The best solution that science has offered is in the Theory of Evolution, first put across by Charles Darwin. The book “Why Evolution is True” addresses the issue from a critical perspective by considering both the evidence provided by pro-Darwinian theory and opponents supporting creationism (Coyne, 2009). The debates particularly became of national relevance when educators found themselves at crossroads on whether to the teaching of the evolutionary theory was academically relevant to learners. A section of religious educators protested that if the Darwinian Theory was being taught in schools, then the Creationism concept should also be introduced. Supporters of the creation theory often explain that the lack of empirical evidence to support creation is not enough reason to refute the hypothesis.

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The Evolution Theory is also marred by inconsistencies and uncertainties that make it incomplete. However, the studies that have been conducted establish that there are some truths associated with the concept. Initially, proponents of the Creation Theory used the perfect design and adaptability of organisms to bring into perspective the idea of “intelligent design” (ID). In essence, they assumed that there must be some supernatural being of higher power and intelligence responsible for creating organisms. Coyne (2009) explains that even Darwin was initially inspired by the ID concept. However, Darwin’s latter studies provided a better explanation that was more convincing that the creation concept. For an argument to hold authentic, the premises must validate the conclusion as is the case of Darwinian Theory, where the idea of natural selection demonstrates that organisms that survive environmental changes are the ones that thrive.

Evolution

Perhaps, in the beginning, to understand the arguments presented by Coyne (2009), it is essential to consider how he defines evolution and whether his definition is convincing in summarizing the theory's common perception in the modern world. Coyne’s concept about evolution is that it is a process that perhaps began with simple single-celled organisms. However, one of the significant challenges facing the theory is that the changes are progressive and very minimal that it would take years and even centuries for modifications to be identifiable. To an empirical scientist where the results' reproducibility is key to supporting a theory, the Darwinian concept still has serious flaws. However, the definition captures crucial ideas that shed more light on the essential attributes of the approach. The definition provided is that the world is continuously undergoing changes, and the primary causative factor is natural selection (Coyne, 2009). The prominent theme, in this case, changes over time.

When the author introduces the theme of change, various questions arise. For instance, what triggers the change, is the change constant or varied, and can the result of the change be predicted. In the book, Coyne admits that the Darwinian Theory's major problem is that it is unpredictable and can seldom be reproduced naturally. Darwin’s observation of the Finches in the Galapagos provides the best scientific evidence that natural selection play a crucial role in evolution. In essence, organisms that have the best traits to survive a given environment often have better chances of mating and passing their genes to subsequent generations. The rest die off, and their features soon become extinct. The Finches are a good explanation of evolution (Darwin, 2016). However, it does not provide enough evidence to ascertain the theory scientifically. The definition provided manages to capture the Darwinian Theory's basic concepts, as postulated by the founder.

Fossil Evidence

According to Coyne (2009), fossils provide one of the best pieces of evidence for the extinction of specific species as a result of natural selection. For instance, there have been excavations of remains of dinosaurs that are millions of years old. Coyne (2009) explains that the use of fossil evidence in understanding the history of the world dates back the times of Aristotle. The fact that there are remains of dinosaurs does not necessarily provide proof of the theory of evolution. According to Alvarez (1997), the dinosaurs might have disappeared due to an asteroid that collided with the earth millions of years ago. The asteroid theory refutes rather than supports the evolution theory that purports that evolution takes place gradually. If the dinosaurs such as the T. Rex disappeared due to the collision, then the best explanation would be changes caused by natural disasters. For instance, in the present world, some organisms face extinction due to human activities.

Excavated evidence from the earth’s crust can only inform scientists of the changes. However, evolution is a process that takes place over time. Without a straightforward way of supporting the existence of the process, the evolution theory remains weak. The possibility that the changes do not result exclusively from natural selection is explained solely by Coyne (2009). There could be other factors aside from natural selection that are responsible for changes in organisms. In essence, the fact that scientists can retrieve fossils from the crust does not necessarily support the Theory of Evolution, but only explains that organisms that once roamed the earth are no longer there.

Bad Design

One of the problem that supporters of the Creation Theory has with evolution, is that evolution introduces the idea of vestige organs. Vestige organs as explained by Coyne (2009) are essentially the ones that have lost their function in organisms. The best examples are wings in flightless birds such as the ostrich and appendix in human beings. Initially, when I was introduced to the idea of vestiges I got confused because I had always thought of evolution to be a process that makes organisms better, and not rendering organs useless. For instance, there is the question of the reason birds such as the Ostrich lost their ability to fly. The concept of vestiges does not augur well with the idea of ID because it identifies mistakes in organisms. ID is a term used to refer to a higher supernatural being that has control over everything in the world. Therefore, there is no way that the higher being could be responsible for making mistakes. Therefore, the ideas that some organs have in the process lost their relevance in the life of organisms has become a major point of dispute between supporters of creation theory and the evolution.

However, there is a serious problem that is often associated with trying to prove that the presence of vestige organs demonstrate evolution where organisms attempt to adapt to an environment. Crone (2018) explains that one priamry problem with the vestige organs postulation is that the mere act that an organs has no immediate function does not imply that it is useless. For instance, evolutionist often use the appendix as an example to explain that it is an organ that had use before, but as a result of genetic and structural changes it has since lost its function. However, a person can lose their legs and still survive. The mere absence of the legs is no reason to assume that legs are entirely useless. Also, there is the assumption that organisms that have the appendix originated from the same ancestor. According to the evolutionists, human beings share ancestors with apes. However, animals such as rabbits also possess the appendix. Therefore, there is some serious contradictions when it comes to the asssumption that vestige organs are proof that evolution is a real phenomenon.

Geographical Distribution of Species

The geographical distribution of species has been used by evolutionists to support the idea that changes over time could have been responsible for the emergence of new species of organisms. Evolution theory is based on the assumption that natural selection can lead to organisms of the same species to develop different properties when they are placed in different environment as a result of divergent evolution. On the other hand, organisms of different species can develop the same characteristics when placed in the same environment. Coyne (2009) explains that studies conducted by Darwin and other evolution scientists led to the conclusion that environmental pressures can strigger evolution. Research in some remote Islands in the Americans has demonstrated that when organisms are placed in the region for an extended period, of maybe thousands of years, they tend to remain static because evolution does not take place.

The mere fact that organisms in secluded Islands demonstrate little or no changes over time is not enough evidence to support the idea of evolution. For instance, there are organisms of different species that colonize the same environment but still remain significantly different after a long time. There are domesticated animals that have stayed close to man for thousands of years, but have not developed similar structural characteristics to man. Therefore, the geographical distribution of species as explained in the book is not supported by sound evidence. The environmental forces that are thought to trigger evolution are also random and spontaneous to the extent that it could be difficult to reproduce.

Colonization

There are specific adaptation observed among organisms of the same species that point to the fact that they have acquired different characteristics as a result of living in varied environments. Coyne (2009) gives the exmaple of the Japanese hornets and exotic bees introduced in the country. In describing the physical and behavioral characteristics of the hornat he explains that they adapted for predation and thay are a perfect example of killing machines. The use a combination of chemicals and body armor to attack bees hives and kill and eat all bees together with the honey. First, the hornets send scouts to inspect the hives where the scout leaves pheromones to inform other hornets of the hive. The evolutionists explain that over the years the hornets have acquired these characteristics to enable it to get food easily. However, the hornet can only do this to bees that are not native to Japan. Japanese bees also have behavioral characteristics to fight off the hornets.

Conclusion

Behavioral and structural adaptation does not provide convincing evidence to prove that evolution takes place. Human beings also adapt to different conditions without necessarily showing any genetic changes. Man has managed to colonize different enviroments for centuries and has shown little or no changes in his genetic make-up. If environmental colonization were the same, then there would be new human species as a result of the varied conditions that different people endure. Environmental colonization is merely a matter of learning to ensure that an organism can obtain food and acquire characteristics to fight off predators. With time, even the exotic bees introduced in Japan might acquire skills to protect their hives from killer hornets. In essence, environmental colonization does not provide proof of evolution beyond reasonable doubt.