Are fossils a valid form of evidence?
2006-10-06 21:12:29 · 17 answers · asked by emmypurplehaze 1 in Environment
If you walk into a wall, is it solid? That's as good a form of evidence that fossils are, got it?
2006-10-06 21:16:04 · answer #1 · answered by backinbowl 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Evolutionary theory, like all scientific theories, is falsifiable. There just isn't any evidence against it because it's not false (it's not a complete picture but it's basically correct).
Whereas there is a ton of evidence against creationism - the fossil record in particular, but also evidence of evolution and extinction happening in recent history (eg the change in certain butterfly populations from being mostly white to mostly black during the industrial revolution, then back to mostly white as the air became cleaner over the 20th century) - yet some people still choose to believe in the unscientific and patently wrong explanation.
2006-10-07 04:24:36 · answer #2 · answered by gvih2g2 5 · 3⤊ 1⤋
well yes it is possible to prove evolution didn't happen.... but the evidence (like the fossil record) is just too strong to discount the theory. you will not find a single valid argument against evolution that isn't based on religious beliefs.
2006-10-07 05:10:11 · answer #3 · answered by Brooks B 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have looked into the views of people who believe in creationism and find its mostly based on ignorance. The only potentially debatable section of evolutionary theory is abiogenesis, the production of living matter from non-living matter that happened in the primordial soup. Back to topic, the evidence for evolutionary theory is quite overwhelming and any resistance is usually ideologically/faith based and can be discounted.
2006-10-07 05:02:43 · answer #4 · answered by Bunglebear 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Is 'falsifible' a real word? Go down to a beach where there are fossils and try telling someone they put them there, you'll be chased all the way to the looney bin (or America, which ever is closer).
2006-10-07 04:31:15 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
W34ell as evolution go's i find it hard to believe that the develop ment of and Animal or smaller took so long to make .its like what came first the mouth or the stomach as one needs each other.It needs eyes to see food etc etc .To claim it took thousands of years to develop just a small amount seem to be impossible.
There theory is bast on what we have today insect and animals.
yet none of these existed back then .this is due to extinction and what i call adaption change if you will..If a bird changes his diet say because the things they eat where not available his habits and the way it did things would change and in a small time the body would change .take flamingos if they didn't eat the bacterial fungi they would loose there pinkness.
so yes allot of UN answered questions .
as for evaluation a theory by man .lets ref raze it IDEA by man
2006-10-07 05:31:54 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
Fossils are a valid form of evidence. we see them and then think well how do we explan them and along comes evolution.
Evolution is a theory and its the one most scientists think fits the evidence (ie fossels) best.
i don't think you can prove that evolution definatly happens just find more evidence that it happened. you can prove it didn't happen if you get evidence that disproves it.
there have been many thoeories in science before that have been believed to be true (e.g.the plum pudding theory) because all the othe r evidence pointed to it being right but evidence has themn been found to disprove it.
for me there are too many bits of evolution that don't quite add up as a theoryand i don't think evolution as the theory currently stands works.
2006-10-07 04:27:19 · answer #7 · answered by Jen 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋
One can certainly postulate that some supernatural being, be it God or the Devil, has created fossils to mislead us, and if you believe the book of Job, you can imagine them betting whether we get suckered by this scam.
The simpler answer is that fossils are real and represent a record of the history of the Earth.
2006-10-07 04:17:51 · answer #8 · answered by arbiter007 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
well, there have been some "fossil discoveries" that were complete phonies. Some of the theory is based on extrapolation, or dating back beyond what we know, because of trends that we observe. There is always going to be a lot of evidence for and against it. Depending on your views (both scientific and religious) you have to make the call for what you believe. People always say that religion is faith-based. I believe to a certain extent that the same can be said about evolution.
2006-10-07 04:16:50 · answer #9 · answered by Davo 2 · 1⤊ 4⤋
Yes its falsifiable , thats why its only a theory but you would need a water tight case to prove that it is wrong. Evolution is a far better theory than creationism so until someone proves that God actually put us here 6000 years ago then i'll stick with evolution
2006-10-07 04:19:19 · answer #10 · answered by poli_b2001 5 · 5⤊ 2⤋