What is the evidence that PROVES evolution???

Question

I want the eveidence of evolution. Give me as much 'evidence' as you can. I want to read it to debate on whether evolution is true. There's alot of informationt that misprooves it, but we all have to look at the other side of the story.
Thanks :) :)

Answer 1

First, as many people willl point out ... you don't PROVE things in science. You only find supporting *evidence*. This is true in evolution, in other realms of biology, in chemistry, in physics, etc.

This is a *partial* list of evidence of evolution (sorry this is long, but there's a *lot* of evidence ... and you did ask for "as much as I can"):

1. Evolution reproduced in the lab or documented in nature:

a. Two strains of fruit flies lost the ability to interbreed and produce fertile offspring in the lab over a 4-year span ... i.e. they became two new species. (Easily repeated experiment.)

b. A new plant species (a type of firewood), created by a doubling of the chromosome count from the original stock (Mosquin, 1967).

c. Multiple species of the house mouse unique to the Faeroe Islands occurred within 250 years of introduction of a foundation species on the island.

d. Formation of 5 new species of cichlid fishes that have formed in a single lake within 4,000 years of introduction of a parent species.

2. Fossil evidence - (So much to list). The way fossils appear in the layers of rock always corresponds to relative development ... more primitive creatures in lower (older) layers. Absolute dating of fossils using radiometry. Constant discovery of new transitional forms. E.g. reptile-birds, reptile-mammals, legged whales, legged sea cows.

3. Genetic evidence - E.g. the fact that humans have a huge number of genes (as much as 96%) in common with other great apes ... and (as much as 50%) with wheat plants. The pattern of genetic evidence follows the tell-tale patterns of ancestral relationships (more genes in common between recently related species, and fading the further back in time).

4. Molecular evidence - These are commonalities in DNA ... which is separate from genetic commonalities ... much of our DNA does not code for genes at all. But random mutations (basically 'typos') enter into DNA at a known rate over the centuries. This is called the 'molecular clock' and again gives excellent evidence of when humans diverged from other apes (about 6 million years ago, according to this molecular clock), and this corresponds perfectly with when these fossils first appear in the fossil record (using radiometric dating).

5. Evidence from proteins - Proteins - E.g., things like blood proteins (the things that give us our A, B, O blood typing and the Rh factor (the plus/minus thing) which incidentally stands for 'rhesus monkey'); the exact structure of the insulin molecule; and my favorite, the proteins responsible for color vision. The specific proteins found in human color vision are exactly the same as those found in Old World primates (the great apes and the monkeys found in Africa and Asia). These proteins are absent in New World primates (the Central and South American monkeys), and from all other mammals. In fact among the New World primates, only the howler monkey has color vision ... but these use slightly *different* proteins, coded on different locations and chromosomes, than humans and the OW primates. This is yet more evidence of a closer link between humans and the OW primates.

6. Vestigial and atavistic organs - E.g. Leg and pelvic bones in whales, dolphins, and some snakes; unused eyes in blind cave fish, unused wings in flightless birds and insects; flowers in non-fertilizing plants (like dandelions); in humans, wisdom teeth, tailbones, appendix, the plantaris muscle in the calf (useless in humans, used for grasping with the feet in primates).

7. Embryology - E.g. Legs on dolphin embryos; tails and gill folds on human embryos; snake embryos with legs; marsupial eggshell and carnuncle.

8. Biogeography - The current and past distribution of species on the planet. E.g. almost all marsupials and almost no placental mammals are native to Australia ... the result of speciation in a geographically isolated area.

9. Homology - E.g. the same bones in the same relative positions in primate hands, bat wings, bird wings, mammals, whale and penguin flippers, pterosaur wings, horse legs, the forelimbs of moles, and webbed amphibian legs.

10. Bacteriology, virology, immunology, pest-control - I.e. the way that bacteria evolve in response to antibiotics (we can compare strains of tuberculosis today, with samples of older epidemics and can see the specific structures), or viruses (like HIV) respond to antivirals, or insects evolving in response to pesticides.

... And there's more ... a LOT more. I'm stopping only because I'm getting tired of typing, and I don't know if you're actually going to read this. (I and others have compiled lists in response to this question *so* many times ... only to get absolutely no reponse or comment whatsoever from the asker.)

Answer 2

What Proves Evolution

Answer 3

I agree with many here: trying to prove the truth of evolution to Creationists is similar to trying to catch rain in a slotted spoon. It just ain't gonna happen. Evolution is in no way contrary to the Bible when one realizes that the creation stories are metaphors and were known to be so by the ancient Hebrews. They would be shocked today to learn some people actually understand those metaphors to be literal truth. The point was not HOW it was done, but rather that it WAS done by God.

Answer 4

Fossils show the different life forms that have lived before but do not exist today
DNA shows the connection and the similarities
Anatomical structure of today's animals--all mammals have five sets of finger bones even though they don't have fingers and all have 7 neck vertebrae, even a whale who has no neck and a giraffe. Homologous structures
Vestigial organ that we once needed and don't have a use for today, wisdom teeth, tail bones, appendix, third eyelids.
The reason there is such a debate is that humans ego gets in the way and they do not want to be related to chimps. Another reason some are apposed to it is they feel it nullifies the Bible or God. Not so. Who put the first life forms on Earth created the phenomenal molecule DNA to carry the traits from generation to generation. Life on Earth is to varied and complicated not to have been going on for millions of years.

Answer 5

Everything in Science is a hypothesis. But the best evidence is the paleo record, astronomical evidence and isotope dating but genetic data also strongly suggests evolution over millions of years. Genetic mutations are known to happen and conserved genes of many species code for the same or similiar proteins. Using mathematical modeling, one can tell how long a species diverged from another based on natural gene mutation rates that do not change the "important" functions of the protein. And of course there is Darwins theory

Answer 6

I highly suggest you go listen to Richard Dawkins. I m not sure if their is a specific video of him explaining the evidence behind evolution, as he talks a lot about many things. Also be prepared, if you listen to him, that he may insult religious people or offend you, as he tends to be harsh and not care what others think.

Answer 7

1. misproves is not a word.
2. nothing can be 'proven', but evidence can be accumulated that strengthens a particular theory through the testing of specific hypotheses.
3. look at Mendel, animal husbandry, modern farming if you need evidence of its validity.
4. where is this information that 'misproves' evolution? There isn't any, or else evolution would no longer be a viable theory- the fact that it still is implies that no such counter evidence exists.
5. no offense, but you should gain a better understanding of the scientific method before you draw any conclusions one way or the other.

Answer 8

Misprooves is not a word, and the evidence for evolution is overwhelming from a scientific point of view.

The reason that evolution scares religious people is that they think it means that there is no God, or that God doesn't care about people. I view this as a sign that religious people's faith is weak. Also, who are we to say we know how God created the world? Are we so arrogant?

Answer 9

There are entire college courses on evolution. Take one and we'll talk again. If you don't believe evolution happened after studying it at the collegiate level it's because you don't want to believe it in spite of the evidence. It's more comfortable for you to believe in creationism. It makes you feel special and warm and fuzzy inside. That, however, doesn't make it true.

Answer 10

I'll just start by dispelling the lies you told yesterday.

1.) Darwin verse Bible

Darwin - "All the species in the world descended from 4 or 5 ancestors in to whcih life was breathesd" So does that mean there was only 8 or 10 animals on Noahs large, large, LARGE, boat???? (two of each?)

Two of each species (seven of the clean) were supposed to be in the ark. There are so many species on Earth that you couldn't fit them on an ark of the dimensions in the Bible. Since Darwin's time, molecular genetics has demonstrated that there was, most likely, a single progenitor.

2.) Vestigial Organs - Vestigial organs, according to Darwin, are organs that loose their function over time. So if animals and plants have vestigial organs, there would be NO life on Earh!!! But that's not true! (there is life on earth) This is due to a logical principle called IRREDUCIBLE COMPLEXITY - the principle states that if one organ is removed or looses its function (like a vestige), the systems neccessary for life will not function, hence there would noe be any life.
Darwin says that the wings of a flightless bird are vestiges. If that's so, all birds today would be able to fly! (contradiction here!!!) Darwin, did it ever occur to that the wings of a flightless birds cannot carry such a heavy bird??! (ostrich, kiwi, chicken)

"Irreducible complexity" is an untested, unproven hypothesis that means if your watch doesn't have a second hand, you can't tell time. Darwin overestimated what is vestigal. Many of the things he called vestiges had alternate functions such as cooling.

3.) Where is the evolution now? Can't find it anywhere.. not even in FOSSILS.
There are fossils of animals and plants that still exist today. Is there any sign of change? No! That falsifies Evolution!

Just because the skeletal form is RELATIVELY unchanged (there are differences if you look closely), doesn't mean it didn't evolve. It means that the form was successful.

4.) The Finch beaks? They change? Darwin says that the Finch beaks adapted to eat their prey. Did it every occur to Darwin that they are all different species, hence allowing for different appearances?!

Changing a definition (adapted/evolved) to deny the facts is pretty weak. Finches arrived in the Galapagos and adapted to fill the available niches, speciating in the process. It explains the woodpecker finches beak being too short for the job.

Answer 11

You are wrong... there is NO credible evidence that disproves it. However there is no evidence that absolutely proves it either.