Is this not proof for the theory of evolution?

Question

While I don't pretend to be able to fit the entire proof in 1000 characters... isn't the following some of the proof?

Evolution is the change in the inherited characteristics, or traits, of a population of organisms. Heritable traits are encoded in the genetic material of an organism (usually DNA); changes in this genetic material (mutation) and the subsequent spread of these changes in the population drives evolution.

Evolution has left numerous signs of the histories of different species. Fossils, along with the comparative anatomy of present-day organisms, constitute the morphological, or anatomical, record. By comparing the anatomies of both modern and extinct species, paleontologists can infer the lineages of those species.

The development of molecular genetics, and particularly of DNA sequencing, has allowed biologists to study the record of evolution left in organisms' genetic structures. The degrees of similarity and difference in the DNA sequences of modern species allows geneticists to reconstruct their lineages. It is from DNA sequence comparisons that figures such as the 96% genotypic similarity between humans and chimpanzees are obtained.

Other evidence used to demonstrate evolutionary lineages includes the geographical distribution of species. For instance, monotremes and most marsupials are found only in Australia, showing that their common ancestor with placental mammals lived before the submerging of the ancient land bridge between Australia and Asia.

Scientists correlate all of the above evidence, drawn from paleontology, anatomy, genetics, and geography, with other information about the history of Earth. For instance, paleoclimatology attests to periodic ice ages during which the world's climate was much cooler, and these are often found to match up with the spread of species which are better-equipped to deal with the cold, such as the woolly mammoth.

The fossil record provides several types of data important to the study of evolution. First, the fossil record contains the earliest known examples of life itself, as well as the earliest occurrences of individual lineages. For example, the first complex animals date from the early Cambrian period, approximately 520 million years ago. Second, the records of individual species yield information regarding the patterns and rates of evolution, showing whether, for example, speciation occurs gradually and incrementally, or in relatively brief intervals of geologic time. Thirdly, the fossil record is a document of large-scale patterns and events in the history of life. For example, mass extinctions frequently resulted in the loss of entire groups of species, while leaving others relatively unscathed. Recently, molecular biologists have used the time since divergence of related lineages to calibrate the rate at which mutations accumulate, and at which the genomes of different lineages evolve.

Phylogenetics, the study of the ancestry of species, has revealed that structures with similar internal organization may perform divergent functions. Vertebrate limbs are a common example of such homologous structures. The appendages on bat wings, for example, are very structurally similar to human hands, and may constitute a vestigial structure. Vestigial structures are idiosyncratic anatomical features such as the panda's "thumb", which indicate how an organism's evolutionary lineage constrains its adaptive development. Other examples of vestigial structures include the degenerate eyes of blind cave-dwelling fish, and the presence of hip bones in whales and snakes. Such structures may exist with little or no function in a more current organism, yet have a clear function in an ancestral species. Examples of vestigial structures in humans include wisdom teeth, the coccyx and the vermiform appendix.

These anatomical similarities in extant and fossil organisms can give evidence of the relationships between different groups of organisms. Important fossil evidence includes the connection of distinct classes of organisms by so-called "transitional" species, such as the Archaeopteryx, which provided early evidence for intermediate species between dinosaurs and birds,[41] and the recently-discovered Tiktaalik, which clarifies the development from fish to animals with four limbs.

By comparing the genetic and/or protein sequences of species, we can discern their evolutionary relationships. The resultant phylogenetic trees are typically congruent with traditional taxonomy, and are often used to either strengthen or correct taxonomic classifications. Sequence comparison is considered a measure robust enough to be used to correct erroneous assumptions in the phylogenetic tree in instances where other evidence is scarce.

For example, neutral human DNA sequences are approximately 1.2% divergent (based on substitutions) from those of their nearest genetic relative, the chimpanzee, 1.6% from gorillas, and 6.6% from baboons.[43][44] Genetic sequence evidence thus allows inference and quantification of genetic relatedness between humans and other apes. The sequence of the 16S rRNA gene, a vital gene encoding a part of the ribosome, was used to find the broad phylogenetic relationships between all extant life. This analysis, originally done by Carl Woese, resulted in the three-domain system, arguing for two major splits in the early evolution of life. The first split led to modern bacteria, and the subsequent split led to modern archaea and eukaryotes.

Shameel -- the origin of matter is not what the theory of evolution tries to explain, and just because science hasn't settled on a prevailing theory for the origin of matter doesn't have anything to do with the proof for biological evolution. Maybe God created matter. Who knows? You do know, of course, that the truth of the theory of evolution is not a proof against God, don't you? Evolution can be correct and God can be the creator too, right?

Answer 1

Evolution hasn't been considered "just a theory" by scientists for a long time. But it will never matter how much proof you show, these deluded Creationist wackos will deny it. One small example of how they show their ignorance is insisting that we were supposed to have evolved FROM apes. Which just proves they argue against subject they have no knowledge of.

Answer 2

Evolution has plenty of evidence, many transitional fossils one example of is the legged sea cow: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/10/1010_jamaicaseacow.html
But try finding an honest Creationist.

Answer 3

You lost them at "inherited characteristics". It's all just a blur for them after that. They don't really want proof. But let's say they read it and it makes sense. Then they'll just say god designed life to evolve that way.

Answer 4

Here's proof of evolution:
Fruit flies changing generation to generation is an observation of generational organism change.
Organisms changing generation to generation is called evolution.
Evolution is a fact.

Answer 5

When you start talking about 520 million years ago leave me out of the conversation because no one knows about 520 million years ago. Neanderthals and humans differ on the DNA findings but Biblically the sons of God that came into women in Genesis were giants and different. God told us very little about them in the Bible but he destroyed many in the flood of Noah and many believe David killed the last giant Nephilim. They were not normal humans and the Bible explains that. Keep up the great DNA findings because I stand in total awe of my Lord. Even David said, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."

Answer 6

Evolution is so obvious that only people who don't want to believe it don't believe it. It's seriously like denying that air exists .

Answer 7

God created everything, and then evolution took over.

I don't know when God created everything, I don't know how long it took Him, and I don't know why He chose to do what He did when He did it.

Answer 8

These words are too much for them to comprehend sir

Answer 9

If evolution was true, why does science fail to explain the origin of matter ?