Is Evolution a fact or theory?

Answer 1

As usual, there are a number of people who do not seem to know what a theory is, claiming that something is 'just' a theory, as though there is some higher category to ascend to when something is crowned a 'law' or something.

Scientific laws are descriptions of things that are observed, factual and proven. They DO NOT provide an explanation as to WHY that observed factual process occurs.

The 'law' of gravity is that things fall. That's it. It doesn't provide any explanation of why things fall, or how they do it, just that they do.

There is indeed a 'law' of evolution, and that is that organisms are different than their parents. It doesn't provide any explanation of why that might be, it is simply an observation.

The 'theory' of evolution is any attempt to explain this observation, just as the 'theory' of gravity attempts to explain why things fall. Evidence is then gathered to either support or disprove this theory.

Now another big misconception comes in when people discuss 'The Theory of Evolution'. What they are usually refering to by the 'Theory of Evolution' is the theory of speciation through natural selection that was first proposed by Charles Darwin as an explanation for the diversity of life on Earth. This theory is indeed a theory, but it is not 'only a theory'. There's no higher level to a theory. It is either a valid theory, or it is disproved through contrary evidence.

The theory of speciation through natural selection is one of the most important theories in biology, and ALL evidence collected to date, from the fossil record, to genetic testing, to the biogeographic distribution of living species, to potassium/argon dating of rocks in the Canadian shield, to bacteria in hospitals developing resistance to antibiotics, to the pattern of magnetic reversals recorded in the bottom of the Atlantic ocean, to the wide diversity of different kinds of beetles, to the physiological similarities between leopards and jaguars ALL support the theory, and there hasn't been a single piece of evidence presented which has disproven the theory.

So evolution is both a fact (the fact that offspring differ genetically from their parents), and is also a theory (usually refering to the theory of speciation through natural selection, but there are actually dozens of additional, complementary theories of evolution as well).

Answer 2

Evolution is a scientific theory. In common speech, a theory is a hunch or a guess. In science, a hunch or guess is called a hypothesis. A hypothesis only becomes a theory after it is supported by observation; overwhelming evidence.

Gravity is another scientific theory. In everyday life, gravity is a fact. Evolution is also a fact of life, in the same way that gravity is both a theory and a fact. The 'Single Bullet' is still just a theory, however. ;)

Answer 3

Evolution is a theory. Although some scientists and media popularizers have attempted to portray it as an unalterable fact, the simple reality of the matter is that by the very rules of science, evolution must remain a theory.

Before pointing this out, however, it should be noted that there are at least two kinds of evolution that are talked about. These two types are sometimes irresponsibly used interchangeably. The two types are microevolution and macroevolution. Microevolution is genetic change within a species; Macroevolution is a genetic change large enough to change the species of an organism.

Microevolution has in fact been observed by science and therefore deserves the title of fact.

Science, at its very essence, consists of observing and recording repeatable physical phenomena.

Macroevolution has never been recorded, because it moves too slowly. Its existence has been surmised by scientists, many of whom think it highly probable that macroevolution is responsible for life on earth. However, due to its very nature, macroevolution takes place of large spans of time. Therefore, we will never be able to see it in action, and since it is not recordable (or, at present, repeatable), evolution must remain a theory.

This was not worded very well, but I hope you get the gist.

Answer 4

Theory

Answer 5

Theory

Answer 6

Theory. Mainly because the past is unobservable. However, if a new species were suddenly to appear and it were proved that it came from a previously existing species, then we could call it fact. We could pretty much say that micro-evolution has already been proved. It is macro-evolution that has yet to be proved, so there would have to be a rather dramatic difference between the former and latter species.

Answer 7

Evolution is a theory. Adaptation is a fact.

Answer 8

Evolution is a fact. Species change over time due to heritable genetic changes, that is a fact. Species disappear from the Earth and closley related species replace them. That is a fact and has happened for billions of years.

The theory is exactly how that happens.

Answer 9

websters defines evolution as "a gradual process of change or development."using this definition, on a microevolutionary scale, yes. evolution is a fact there. on a macroevolutionary scale, it's a theory.

micro evolution is the evolution of tiny things that happen right in front of us. think viruses developing a resistance to antibodies. something has changed and developed and that change has not done damage to the organism.

macroevolution, like monkeys to humans, is a theory.

evolution is happening, it's just going happening on a microscopic level.

Answer 10

Its a fact that its a theory but no theory can be completely proved fact