Can you show me evolution happening?

Question

Yes, I can! Glad you asked!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speciation#Artificial_speciation

Answer 1

Some of us believe the bones in the rocks and don't need the in situ example.

The rest won't even believe the practical example and will snap up the nearest convenient excuse to deny it... then escape.


So basically, you wasted 5 points.

Answer 2

We have still yet to see any evidence of one species becoming another. Variations in the same species doesn't equate to evolution. For all we know at this stage is that those variations are preprogrammed in the DNA as possible variations. Mixing of DNA may make a new type of dog, but it is still a dog. So, even if a complex single cell organism managed to spontaneously form with perfect parts one time or even a thousand times, it wouldn't account for the wonderful variety of life here on Earth.

Answer 3

you can also see it in a matter of minutes or hours in bacteria cultures...

Also, although viruses are not considered living creatures, they do mutate into other viruses... this is why we were freaking out about the bird flue... we were worrying that it might EVOLVE into an airborne virus...

And some bacteria develop immunities to antibiotics... also another form of obvious evolution...

It follows that this concept carries on to larger species, but since they have longer lifespans, it takes longer for the effect to be noticed...

and yes... you started with a fly and ended with a fly... and look how much it changed in a matter of just 8 generations! THINK about how dramatic the changes would be over MILLIONS of years!

Answer 4

We can and do observe evolution in progress. The rate of base pair mutation is fairly constant for any organism and the overall mean value is 0.0033 per DNA replication. This results in 50 - 100 base pair mutations per generation in both humans and chimps. That's also the rate needed to account for the difference in human and chimp DNA if we were the same species between 3 and 5 million years ago.

Answer 5

Sure, I can show you evolution happening. When the theory of evolution first started out you had speculations like this from it's founder Charles Darwin.

"In North America the black bear was seen by Hearne swimming for hours with widely open mouth, thus catching, like a whale, insects in the water. Even in so extreme a case as this, if the supply of insects were constant, and if better adapted competitors did not already exist in the country, I can see no difficulty in a race of bears being rendered, by natural selection, more and more aquatic in their structure and habits, with larger and larger mouths, till a creature was produced as monstrous as a whale."—*Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species (1859 and 1984 editions), p. 184.

Now the theory has evolved to a different speculation.

Primitive whales evolved during the early Eocene period, at least 53 - 54 million years ago. Fossil remains indicate that whales evolved from hoofed land mammals - perhaps the shore-dwelling, hyena-like Mesonychid that started a returned, bit by bit, to the sea roughly 50 million years ago.

Another possible step in whale ancestry is the otter-like Ambulocetus, an extinct mammal the size of a sea lion, 10 feet (3 m) long and about 650 pounds. Its limbs allowed it to swim and could also support it on land. It had long, powerful jaws with shark-like teeth, a small brains, and a pelvis fused to its backbone (like land-dwelling mammals but unlike whales).

In addition to that you have a new "evolved" Punctuated Equilibrium theory to explain the gaps in the fossil record http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punctuated_equilibrium

"Rudyard Kipling, in addition to his journalism, adventure stories, and chronicling of the British Raj in India, is remembered for a series of charming children’s tales about the origins of animals. The Just-So Stories (1902) are fanciful explanations of how . . the camel got his hump (because he was always saying- Humph to everybody). Modeled on the folktales of tribal peoples, they express humor, morality, or are whimsy in ‘explaining’ how various animals gained their special characteristics.

" ‘Not long ago,’ writes science historian Michael Ghiselin, ‘biological literature was full of ‘Just-So’ stories and pseudo-explanations about structures that had developed ‘for the good of the species.’ Armchair biologists would construct logical, plausible explanations of why a structure benefited a species or how it had been of value in earlier stages."—*R. Milner, Encyclopedia of Evolution (1990), p. 245.

Times have not changed; in fact, things are getting worse. As many scientists are well-aware, *Darwin’s book was full of Just-So explanations; and modern theorists continue in the tradition of ignoring facts and laws as they search for still more implausible theories about where stars, planets, and living organisms came from.

When they are written for little people, they are called fairy stories; but, when prepared for big people, they are called "the frontiers of evolutionary science."

Answer 6

Yes, get a telescope and look at the stars. You will see some objects that are billions of years old and you will see other objects that are a lot newer that that. By looking into space you are seeing time.
It is in fact evolution taking place before your eyes.

Answer 7

Since in general, evolution takes place over extremely long time periods, thousands, if not millions of years, it would be very hard to show it happening.

In particular for R&S regulars, none of whom I suspect are evolutionary biologists.

Answer 8

" SILLY.... RABBIT.... TRICKS....ARE.. JUST... FOR... "kids!"

Silly.... answering Your Own Question? IS that Evolution ?

Sure.... don't you KNOW... the the Computer... IS JUST ... EVOLVING.... without Any Engineering....? " NOT ! "

And the Microsoft Programs are JUST Evolving....without Any Engineers WRITING CODE....? " NOT ! "

" SILLY.... RABBIT.... TRICKS....ARE.. JUST... FOR... "kids!"

(Romans 1:20-21-22) For the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being realized by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, for them to be without excuse.

(Rom 1:21) Because, knowing God, they did not glorify Him as God, neither were thankful. But they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

(Rom 1:22) Professing to be wise, they became fools

Thanks, RR

Answer 9

Yeah. New strains of bacteria and viruses are popping up all the time, and Darwin's theory of natural selection explains perfectly how it happens. So there.

Answer 10

You can See it Happening when bacteria undergo mutation and survive antibiotics, so creating a new sort of bacteria resistant to this specific antibiotic. Electronic microscopes can help you there.