Evolution is the central unifying concept of biology. The evidence supporting it comes from genetics, paleontology, comparative anatomy, biogeography, molecular biology, and direct observation. Here we address common misconceptions and explain the science.
Common Claims
- "Evolution is just a theory"
- "There's no evidence for evolution"
- "Scientists are abandoning evolution"
- "Microevolution happens, but not macroevolution"
- "Evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics"
- "Evolution cannot create new information"
- "There are no transitional fossils"
- "The Cambrian explosion disproves evolution"
- "Gaps in the fossil record disprove evolution"
- "Living fossils haven't evolved"
- "Some structures are irreducibly complex"
- "The eye is too complex to have evolved"
- "The bacterial flagellum could not have evolved"
- "Specified complexity requires a designer"
- "Evolution is statistically impossible"
- "A tornado in a junkyard won't assemble a 747"
- "Evolution relies on random chance"
- "Evolution says humans came from monkeys"
- "If we evolved from apes, why are there still apes?"
- "The missing link has never been found"
- "Humans are too unique to have evolved"
- "Evolution can't explain the origin of life"
- "The Miller-Urey experiment has been discredited"
Key Concepts
Lines of Evidence
- The fossil record
- Transitional forms
- Fossil sequence and dating
- Whale evolution: a case study
- Horse evolution
- Homologous structures
- Vestigial structures
- Atavisms
- Embryological evidence
- Genetic evidence overview
- DNA sequence comparison
- Endogenous retroviruses
- Pseudogenes
- Human chromosome 2 fusion
- The molecular clock
- Biogeographical distribution
- Island biogeography
- Continental drift and evolution
- Observed instances of evolution
- Antibiotic resistance
- Peppered moths
- Lenski's long-term E. coli experiment
- Observed speciation events
Historical Context
Society
Further Reading
This section aims to present the scientific consensus accurately. If you find errors, please contribute corrections.