What is the basis for the belief in evolution?

Question

Answers by true evolutionist would be extremely informative.

I asked this question for the purpose of information from evolutionist, not for anyone else, please save all the extra commentary for other questions.

Answer 1

Science does not 'prove' things. 'Proof' is for mathematicians, coin collectors and distillers of alcoholic beverages. Proof in science is applicable only in the 'negative' sense... i.e., hypotheses and theories must be 'falsifiable'. When scientists do experiments (to validate 'predicted' results), they are NOT trying to 'prove' they are RIGHT... they are trying to FIND OUT if they're WRONG. NOT being wrong simply builds confidence that one is on the right track... it 'proves' nothing.

Evolution is not a matter of 'belief. I keep reading in here that "... evolution is just a theory... not a fact." That, as it turns out, is true... although the word 'just' is inappropriate, and misleading... and it indicates that people just don't understand what a scientific theory is; they seem to think that a theory is just an 'idea'. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In science, a theory occupies a higher stratum of importance than mere 'facts'. Theories EXPLAIN facts. The theory of evolution provides an explanatory framework for the OBSERVED FACTS that the genetic makeup of populations of organisms changes, over time (in some cases, over distance)... and that over an extended period of time (hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of generations), the accumulation of those changes can result in speciation. It explains the OBSERVED FACT of transitional species found in the fossil record.

Theories live or die on the basis of their explanatory power and falsifiability. Theories, as an explanatory framework, allow one to make predictions which can subsequently be validated by way of experiments or future observations. That means that in order to be valid, a theory must be falsifiable... and all that it takes for a theory to be falsified is ONE INSTANCE where an experiment or future observation achieves a result that is CONTRARY to what the theory predicts.

Evolution, as it turns out, has NEVER been falsified... in nearly 150 years. Further, all findings and observations to date... in molecular biology... in genetics... in paleontology... have SOLIDIFIED the explanatory power of evolution... NEVER detracted from it.

For those that say that evolution does not account for new species... horseshit. Examples abound, both in the 'world' and in the laboratory. One of the most interesting examples, and the most enlightening, has to do with a kind of bird (plovers, if my memory is correct) that occupies adjacent habitats all the way from Siberia to Britain. Because of environmental differences in these adjacent habitats (topology, food availability, competitor species, predators, vegetation), natural selection has produced genetic differences between the populations in these adjacent habitats. Birds in adjacent habitats can still mate with each other... the genetic differences are small. However, the birds from the Eastern-most reaches of Siberia CAN NOT mate with those from Britain. Over the reach of MANY habitats, the accumulation of genetic differences makes them a DIFFERENT SPECIES.

Answer 2

No one has really answered your question yet.

The basis for belief in evolution is someone's individual appraisal of the evidence. Each person therefore will believe evolution for different reasons. To wit: "I believe the theory is true because..etc"

Most people are answering the question "what is the basis for the theory of evolution". Well, it started out simply as this: Darwin visited the Galapagos and discovered different animals filling different niches (doing different jobs). This was especially true among the Finches, that were basically the same bird physically...the only change was the beak. Nowadays, the basis for the theory is genetic mutation. Mutation happens all the time, and some mutations are beneficial. The majority of mutations are either negligible or harmful. Beneficial mutations that confer advantage in survival will enable the new animal to reproduce and possibly spread the new trait.

Sometimes though, animals develop trends to decidedly useless mutations based on reproductive prowess. (there is a type of bug in south america, with whom the male with eyes on longer stalks gets to breed. The eyes get bigger and bigger, to the point where they are now endagered by being easily spotted prey. lol)

Also note that even according to Darwin, evolution is not a ladder with humans at the top near angels. Every animal is suited to it's niche and is being the best amoeba, dolphin, iguana, whatever, it can be at any given moment. It's a tree..not a ladder. Every part of a tree is equally important.

Besides, evolution is not something to 'believe' in. It's not going to make your life better to believe in that theory. It doesn't tell you how to live with your fellow man. It's a scientific notion that you will either accept or not.

Furthermore, even if it were true that man evolved from apes, what have you said that is scientifically useful? Uh,nothing. That states that something came from something it is not. Modern biologists (such as myself, I'm a veterinarian) prefer to ask how things differ and in what crucial ways. That can provide useful information about how animals differ and therefore how we can care for them better in zoos, for example. Traditional evolution like that taught in schools is woefully out of date.

Answer 3

1: There is no such thing as an "evolutionist".
2: Evolution is not a matter of "belief". It is a matter of evidence.
3: The ToE is about the development of life and the process of its change. It is not about the origin or life, the age of the universe, or any of the other nonsese creationists tack on to it.
4: Multiple sources of proof.

Answer 4

I'm pretty sure that belief in evolution comes both from evidence and sheer logical/critical thinking. To be quite honest at this point I find it laughable that people still don't at least slightly believe in it.
Take a person who is not religious and teach them evolution and they will believe in it. Take a person who has been spoon-fed propaganda since they day they were born and tell them that propaganda is wrong and teach them evolution and they will reject evolution. Tell me, which one do you think is more biased? Naturally when someone is told, with hard concrete evidence, that their reality is incorrect that they can't handle it.

What's funny is that religious people don't realize that even their religions are memes that follow the basic "theory" of evolution. Teaching gullible kids while they're young, preventing priests from pursuing sexual goals, and promoting the spread of the religion are all things that religious people just don't seem to critically think about.

Answer 5

The belief at is base is formed from an unbiased look at it's evidences. The knowledge that it is true comes from the fact that it has passed every test that anyone has thrown at it for about 150 years now.

Just by you using the term evolutionist I can tell you are an evolution denier.

If you care at all about what is true...
http://evolution.berkeley.edu/

Answer 6

The basis of evolution is that you don't have to believe it. A belief is an idea about something lacking any evidence.

There is evidence to support evolution. A vast fossil record.

The theory of evolution was forged under the scientific method, meaning it can be tested and used to predict, and also that it's not written in stone. It's the best idea we have now that models the evidence we have seen. Welcome to the scientific community, where we don't believe things just because we were told them when were young and afraid.

Answer 7

Physical reality. The finding of bones. Observation of things.

Answer 8

Awesome question. I don't think I've heard it on here yet. The basis is that traits are inherited.

Answer 9

All kinds of empirical evidence

Answer 10

Evolution in animals is copletely justified by all the other answers you got but one can't believe that "humans" who are the master creation of God are evolved from monkeys. Darwin's forefathers might have been chipmunks, not mine ;)