Question Archive
Who was Mitochondrial Eve? Who was Y-chromosome Adam? How do they relate to Genesis?
Through a concept known as coalescence, it is possible to trace human DNA sequences back to the one maternal ancestor. However, this does not mean that there was only one woman alive at that time. Careful measurements reveal that this woman, lived between 150,000 and 200,000 years ago.
Did evolution have to result in human beings?
Because evolution involves seemingly "random" mutations, it seems that the Earth could have been the home of a different assortment of creatures. But belief in a supernatural creator leaves the possibility that human beings were fully intended. An omniscient creator could also have created the Universe's natural laws so as to inevitably result in human beings.
Does thermodynamics disprove evolution?
A common argument against biological evolution is that the theory contradicts the second law of thermodynamics. The second law says that disorder, or entropy, always increases or stays the same over time – but evolution results in more complex life forms over time. However, this objection is grounded in a misunderstanding of the second law.
Isn’t the origin of life highly improbable?
From all we know about the state of the Earth 3 to 4 billion years ago and what we know about the complexity of the building blocks of life — DNA, RNA, amino acids, sugars — no entirely plausible hypothesis for the spontaneous origin of life has been found.. But this does not mean that divine intervention is the only possible explanation.
What does the fossil record show?
The fossil record provides a unique view into the history of life by showing the forms and features of species through time. This is particularly important for evolution, because it shows the changes in species across long periods of the Earth’s history. In this way, it provides insight into the evolutionary tree.
How can evolution account for the complexity of life on earth today?
A complex biological structure with many interacting parts might appear, at first glance, as if it were originally created in its present form with all its interlocking components fully formed and intact. It doesn’t seem possible that they developed step by step via biological evolution. In Darwin’s Black Box, Michael Behe introduces a term that he and other proponents of Intelligent Design use for this concept: irreducible complexity.
Does the presence of chance in natural processes conflict with belief in God’s sovereignty?
In popular usage, chance often means “without purpose.” Thus some materialists have described evolution as proceeding by “blind, purposeless chance.” But to mathematicians, statisticians, and scientists, chance simply means non-determinacy.
How does evolution handle such difficulties as the Cambrian Explosion?
Coming soon ...
The Cambrian Explosion refers to the surprisingly rapid appearance of all major animal body plans in the fossil record within a period of 10-15 million years – a relatively short period in evolutionary history. The Cambrian Explosion is often posed as a challenge for evolution, because the sudden bursts of change in the fossil record appear to be inconsistent with the more typical gradual pace of evolutionary change.
What is the evidence that natural selection is still occurring for humans?
Coming soon ...
Evolution is such a slow and gradual process that noticeable changes require centuries and even millennia to develop. Scientists have collected much evidence for changes produced by natural selection in humans, spanning across the 200,000 years or more of Homo sapiens’ existence. This response will show that lactose intolerance, malaria resistance, and human skin color are all examples of natural selection in recent human history.
Can evolution explain morality?
Coming soon ...
Over the past few decades, sociobiologists have begun applying Darwin’s theory to many aspects of human behavior, including altruism. If evolution selects only traits that promote reproductive success, then altruistic behaviors seem contrary to the underlying principle of evolution. Sociobiology and evolutionary models can account for some elements of altruism, but radical altruism poses additional challenges.