Has there ever been a credible critique of Darwinian evolution, one not offered up by someone with a?

Question

religious agenda? And what is macro evolution, creationists like to bring that up too.

Thanks for that, but I was looking for more of a serious, scientific paper.

Answer 1

No, nearly all critiques of evolutionary theory that I've seen occur because of problems in interpretations or a conflict in beliefs. And yes, there is often an agenda behind the rejection. For example, Intelligent Design (ID) proposes non-scientific alternatives to evolution that extend beyond the suggestion that a Divine Being created the Universe. These views are not subject to empirical testing, revision, and are unfalsifiable. This is the exact opposite of science.

I think that the first link below is what you are looking for. It gives brief position statements by ID proponents, along with three evolutionary responses. For example, ID proponents like Behe rely on science's use of the "black box," and focus on the molecular level and irreducibly complex systems. ID proponents say natural selection can only choose from systems that are already working. Again, the problem lies in interpretation. Parts of irredicibly complex machines may still have useful functions, and natural selection acts on organism parts for different functions. So on closer examination, evidence of evolution can be documented. The example of blood clotting related to digestive enzymes supports this.

Macroevolution is used to refer to any evolutionary change at or above the level of species. The second link talks about evidence for macroevolution. It is a great website that you can navigate around to learn more about evolutionary theory.

Keep in mind that supporters of evolution readily admit missing fossils and uncertainties in the details of evolutionary history, but point out that knowledge is growing and increasing in accuracy. Besides paleontology, evidence also comes from molecular biology, comparative anatomy, embryology, comparative biochemistry, domestic breeding, geographic distribution, and other areas. Views are subject to test and revision, as well as allowing predictions and refutations. The mountain of evidence that has accumulated strongly supports evolutionary theory, and evolution has remained good science for the past 150 years.

Answer 2

Yes, if you don't mean a necessarily negative critique.
You should check out the independent film "Flock of Dodos" by Randy Olson. I don't know how you can get your hands on it, but you can go to www.flockofdodos.com. In it, he (humorously and brilliantly) analyzes evolution versus intelligent design. That counts as a critique, right? He talks with numerous experts in somewhat informal interview style, giving both sides a very fair representation of their beliefs. He comes to the conclusion that evolution is more likely, but there are no religious arguments in it. The creator of the intelligent design theory, Steven Behe, is religious, but he doesn't bring that up in the film.
It's really an excellent film, and I highly recommend it.

Answer 3

If you are looking for a "credible" evolutionary biologist who disagrees with the overall concept of Darwinian evolution, you won't find one. Some details may have been expanded or slightly changed since Darwin, but not the overall concpt.

If you are looking for a good lay person explanation of how things happend, check out "Climbing Mount Improbable" or "The Blind Watchmaker" by Richard Dawkins.