Why is Charles Darwins theory of evolution a theory?

Question

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Answer 1

There is a lot of misinformation in some of the other answers - even in some of those given by people who accept evolution as a real thing.

Let's start at the bottom, shall we? Darwin's theory of evolution is more properly called the theory of evolution by natural selection. The idea that evolution occurs was not invented by Darwin; he only sought to explain how it occurs. That's what a theory does: in a very small nutshell, it explains a set of observed phenomenon.

Evolution has been observed. Anybody who says otherwise is lying or ignorant. And let's be clear about this: I don't mean that scientists THINK they've seen evolution. By any reasonable definition of evolution (descent with modification, change in allele frequency over time, speciation), evolution has been observed. It's preserved in the fossil record, it's preserved in our genes, it's preserved in every aspect of who we are. And before anybody objects that the fossil record doesn't count as "seeing evolution in progress", would you also argue that watching a recording of a baseball game doesn't allow you to know exactly what happened during the game?

Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection has been modified (as all theories have been since their inception). The development of molecular genetics has allowed biologists to more accurately date major evolutionary changes. Molecular genetics has been incorporated into the more complete theory of evolution, also known as neo-Darwinism or the modern synthesis.

So evolution is an observed fact, but the theory of evolution, which seeks to explain how evolution happens, is a theory because it is *deep breath* a logically consistent set of statements aimed at explaining how an related set of phenomena occurred, which is testable, falsifiable, and well-supported by evidence. *phew* The THEORY of evolution can never be proven, because you can't prove ANY theory, but there is so much evidence in support of it that it isn't reasonble to oppose it.

I hope that helps. Good luck!

Answer 2

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Answer 3

Darwin theory was simple. If you get a trillion of pocket calculators and start gently smashing them with the hammer one of those calculators will turn into iPad. Then this iPad will become more useful and more popular than pocket calculators and pocket calculators will die out as species while iPad will survive and thrive on the shelves of the stores. But if you have any knowledge of how well thought out, complex and interconnected the solid design of the iPad or any computer is, you would see that you can not make iPad out of pocket calculators this way. Most single changes in one place will require the simultaneous precise matching changes in 5 other places or whole thing will not work at all. Such transformation, even though they both use silicone chips, can only be done by intelligent engineers-designers. And if you would understand that our DNA program and the whole design of each species is even more complex and even more interconnected than any modern computer, you would see that what does not work for iPad evolution is even less likely to work for the evolution of the species. Darwin was mistaken, to put it mildly.

Answer 4

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!

I weep for science education ... so many of the answers here are just *AWFUL*.

Doesn't anybody learn what the word *theory* means anymore?

A "theory" in science doesn't mean "unproven conjecture." It does not some sort of "wannabe law" ... something that just hasn't risen to the level of "law."

A THEORY CAN NEVER BECOME A LAW ANY MORE THAN A LAW CAN EVER BECOME A THEORY.

They are TWO DIFFERENT KINDS OF STATEMENT!!!

* A 'theory' is an *EXPLANATORY*.
* A 'law' is a *DESCRIPTIVE*.

Specifically, a 'theory' is a body of statements that *explains* a body of facts. A 'law' is a single theory the *describes* a single universal fact (usually in the form of an equation).

And that is why Darwin's theory of evolution is ... and always will be ... a theory. Because it is a body of statements that *beautifully* explains a *huge* body of facts ... from facts in the fossil record, to stratigraphic evidence, radiometry, to genetics, to DNA, to the very existence of junk DNA, to protein evidence, vestigial structures, homologous structures, atavisms, evidence in the development of embryos, biogeography (the locations where species are found on the planet), the nature of immunity of viruses to vaccines, or bacteria to antibiotics, or insects to pesticides, and on and on and on. Scientists aren't morons! They accept evolution overwhelmingly because of these facts. It is called a *theory* because it *explains* these facts!

It has NOTHING to do with whether a theory is "proved." NOTHING in science is ever "proved" ... it just becomes accepted by science (as evolution has) based on the evidence ... until a better theory comes along. Evolution is the reigning champion of biological theories of the origins of species. Nothing else in science even comes close.

The highest compliment you can pay to a scientific explanation is to call it a theory!

The cell theory of life, the germ theory of disease, the theory of gravity, the theory of relativity, the heliocentric theory of the solar system, the acretion disk theory of star formation, the big bang theory, quantum theory, plate tectonics theory of geology ... on and on.

... and yes, the theory of evolution ...

... all THEORIES ... all accepted with a high degree of confidence by the overwhelming majority of scientists ... but all still called 'theories' and always will be.

The deep-seated science *ignorance* displayed by so many of the answers here explains why the relentless anti-science message of Creationism has such high purchase.

It's just pathetic!

Answer 5

Save our knowledge of proofs in math& logic, all our beliefs about the external world are models based on evidence. The criteria for a valid theory is that it can explain and predict and that it is subject to falsifiability ie (please note religious idealogues) when new evidence is found the theory must be refined, improved or abandonned totally. Newtonian gravity theory could explain the periods and orbital radii of the planets, but failed to explain the precession of the orbit of mercury due to relativistic mass change- hence the adoption of the Einsteinian 4 space formulation of gravity
Evolution may have the same status at the moment as the newtonian universe, but evidence may be found to change its subtle mechanisms. The default position is not evolution is bunk, because it's improbable..god (even more improbable by scientific reasoning (which clause creationshits use)) must have dunnit! Keep digging, the fossils are out there!

Answer 6

A theory is an explanation of phenomenon. The phenomenon is that species evolve. The theory of evolution is an explanation of this. Note that a theory is not a guess or a hunch. That is a hypothesis. Many people don't understand this. A theory is the highest order in science.

Answer 7

It is a widely accepted theory because you CAN NOT PROVE IT WRONG. Theories are believed to be right, until proven wrong.

If you prove it wrong, it won't be a theory. But since that has not happened, it's right.

For example, an atom. No one has seen an atom, but we assume what it looks like and it's properties by what we observe and create a theory. We accept this theory because nothing has proven it incorrect.

Answer 8

Darwin published his observations as a theory, because his ideas ran counter to the conventional wisdom of his time.

Today, evolution is one of the primary dogmas of biology and has been observed to be true.

Answer 9

Hello! A theory is something in science that has information to back it up, but it has not been proven fully yet. In order to be fact they have to find some sort of information that proves the theory of evolution 100%. That is why it is still a theory because they have failed to find anwsers that proves evolution is 100% real.

Answer 10

A theory proposes a logical explanation for a set of observable phenomena. It will suggest a mechanism that is testable. The proof will come in testing or examining the data further to see the theory is able to predict the future.
For the theory of selection to work on the variation within a species we should see a shift in the population, over time, in response to changing environmental factors.
We now know the mechanism of variation to be the alleles for given gene present in a population as well as the redundancy of function built into many physiologic systems. Given this it has been possible to observe predicted population shifts with changing habitat pressures.
See "Beak of the Finch" by Jonathan Weiner
This documents population changes in 21 species of finch on the Galapagos Islands. The finch species each have a different range of beaks & physiques. The variation is measurably inheritable from parent to offspring. Slight changes in habitat closely correlate with success within each species for certain physical traits leading to shifts in the populations. A year of drought favored larger, seed cracking beaks while smaller beaked, delicate birds died.

On a larger time scale we can sequence entire genomes and compare the sequences. What is seen is that certain genes are highly conserved between highly divergent species. Conservation of function indicates that disruption of the gene is lethal.
However genes do get duplicated by recombination or transposons. Once a critical gene gets replicated within the genome there is a copy open to mutation without loss of function. This gives room for a new function to evolve or a more efficient protein for the same function.
A good example is chlorophyll a to chlorophyll b. The second copy of chlorophyll a could under go mutation while the cell still carried on photosynthesis. This led to changing the methyl group to a formyl group on chlorophll b and an enormous shift in absorption peaks. This new species with chlorophyll a and b could absorb in both the red and now the blue wavelengths. This was only one of several variation in chlorophyll.
Genetic recombination and gene replication is probably one of the most common events to allow the shifts that lead to new functions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_duplication
An example are the light receptors for color vision. The color receptor opsins all arose by gene duplication and subsequent mutation into receptors of different function. Now we see in three colors. Other creatures see in different ranges and with variable numbers of receptors. If we compare across many species we can see the most conservrved opsin gene. Short wavelength (blue) gene, SWS1, is conserved across the range of vertebrates, including lampreys, teleosts, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1664589
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/293/5535/1551a
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2687099&dopt=AbstractPlus&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m%2Cisrctn