Evolution is real. Its a real thing that really does happen and did happen. Gah!

[Owyn_Merrilin]

Don't be completely short sighted, evolution is only a theory.

If it were real, and we evolved from monkeys, how come there are still monkeys around? You can't explain that.

Next you'll be claiming that the world is round like that dude in the other thread. What's wrong with you people, has the world gone mad.

I'd just like to let you know I made a twenty minute response with basics of evolution to you, simply because I didn't bother to read your last two sentances, proving your stance was sarcastic... What is wrong with me?

I was just about to press the quote button and do the same thing when I noticed the second line.
...
Okay, who am I kidding?
I was going to rant at him and call him a retard. It's too late at night for me to try to reason with an evolution denialist.

Dont they still call this the "theory" of evolution? Meaning its not 100% fact?

No. First of all, technically speaking, nothing can be known with 100% certainty. There's no such thing as "100% fact". We might just all be brains in jars for all we know.
Second: 'Theory' is the highest standing an explanation of how stuff works can have in science.
The idea that bacteria make us sick is still a theory.
Something can't move from theory to fact, since those are two different categories.
Third: Evolution isn't a theory. It's an observation. There may be different theories trying to explain this observation, but the most well known one is The theory of Natural selection.
i.e. A theory is an attempt at explaining the mechanisms behind observations. A theory must be able to predict future events with some accuracy.

The theory of natural selection isn't some 100% foolproof 'this is how things work' statement. It's being tweaked and upgraded as our understanding of the world improves.
This means certain aspects of natural selection may be debated.

However, the fact that species turn into different species over time is not up for debate.

Saying "evolution doesn't happen" is like saying "the sky isn't blue".
Saying "natural selection doesn't happen" is like saying "the sky isn't blue because of particles in the air spreading different wavelengths of light at different angles, it's blue for some other reason."

Thank you for that. You explained everything I wanted to, but was too tired to type up tonight. Evolution is a fact, natural selection is a theory. Just like "if you drop something, it falls" is a fact, while "gravity causes it to fall" is a theory.

 

[Shadowstar38]

Thank you to Jonluw for explaining this and knowing what he's talking about.

I can see animals do evolve over time, and sounds a hell of a lot more likely. Usually though, Evolution is presented improperly as scientists being able to nail down the dates of everything, which goes against what creationists believe. And those tend to be the only opponents against evolution being real.

 

[Asita]

Y'know, that does bring up an interesting point. What if the monkeys one day start catching up? A group of "the missing link" shows up in a jungle somewhere. The societal changes once they gain communication and mental skills could be massive.

'Course, I never claimed to be a scientist, so I suppose there could be some reason they will never evolve further.

Eh, they did and are evolving. We didn't descend from any variant of modern ape[footnote]At least not one that we know of[/footnote], we share an ancestral species though. Different populations of that species evolved in different manners, eventually resulting in the various great apes of today[footnote]And yes, categorically we are members of the Great Ape classification[/footnote].

 

[evilneko]

Why are there still monkeys?

Because my friend, we are monkeys.

Also,

This thread will reach 20+ pages.

 

[Pick|Choose]

Actually, we're apes ;P

No, they're not the same thing.

 

[Mr.PlanetEater]

Actually, we're apes ;P

No, they're not the same thing.

Actually we aren't apes we're Hominidae or if you want to get on the Genus level, Homos. But I'm just being obtuse for the sake of being obtuse because all of the above fall under the family Primate. ;D

 

[Luca72]

One of my profs told me that the unfortunate thing about scientific progress is that even when a theory is proven to be true, the only way it ever really gets widespread acceptance is when all the people that believe otherwise die. Sort of like how we still have people angry about Pluto not being a planet.

My question is - why can't I watch a damn scientific video on youtube that doesn't have an evolution vs. creation argument in the comments? I certainly believe in evolution, but I don't really care what creationists think, and nothing I say could change their minds.

 

[Miles000]

Well we need not worry about that, because Homo Sapiens are an entirely different species, and an entirely different Genus than our biological relatives, the tribe Homonini of the family Hominidae--who are a branch of the order Primate.

If I'm remembering my biology correctly, none of our biological relatives will ever evolve to our level, because the traits that allowed us to evolve to the level we see today are traits specific to the genus Homo. Of which we are the last surviving members.*

If that makes sense. >.>

*Disclaimer: I'm not 100% on that, but I do remember hearing something to that effect in all my Biology classes.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, that doesn't mean that Primates, or even other members of the Homonini tribe could not evolve to be near our level--say Neanderthal--but they'll most certainly never be on the level of Homo Sapiens unless something drastically changes in their gene-pool.

Thank you!
Finally a post that is pretty much right.

We didn't evolve from the monkeys we see today, we evolved with them.
The last time we shared a particular trait with any other current Genus could have been millions upon millions of years, and many species ago. There is no chance of any of today's primates becoming like us through evolution.

They can't slowly evolve into what they are over long periods of time, then "jump" onto our evolutionary path.
Maybe with genetic engineering, but that can't be used in the evolution argument.

[sub]Ignore any potentially poor communication. I have a headache -_-[/sub]

-snip-

Evolution and Natural Selection are both theories.

Evolution is the random "mutation" of DNA which causes tiny differences in a species.
Natural selection is when the new DNA is put to the test. It often falls within the common understanding of "evolution."

They are both recognised by the peer reviewed scientific community as separate theories.

......

My contribution:
There is proof of evolution in humans today.

Goose bumps, are leftover from when our genus had more hair. Some people can't get them, because the DNA that causes them has evolved.

Wisdom teeth, ear muscles, tail bones and third eyelids are all things that only some people have. They are leftovers from our evolution path, and because they are no longer required, our DNA is phasing them out.

http://listverse.com/2009/01/05/top-10-signs-of-evolution-in-modern-man/

 

[Pick|Choose]

Actually, the term ape encompasses the Hominidae.

On my previous post, I wasn't simply being more specific. The term monkey and ape are different. As in, humans are apes, but not monkeys.

You have to forgive me, I've a very contentious person ;P

 

[aba1]

There are people out there who aren't in a cult or who have never gone to school who don't believe in evolution... weird....

 

[Solo-Wing]

Relevant:
Whenever evolution is brought up I have to mention that video.

Basicly when a species evolves over hundreds of generations that new species has a trait that the previous did not that allows it to survive better then before. It is honestly not that complicated.

And we did come from monkeys. Too bad we did not get to keep our tails...

 

[aba1]

Don't be completely short sighted, evolution is only a theory.

If it were real, and we evolved from monkeys, how come there are still monkeys around? You can't explain that.

Finally. You would think that nobody thought this whole evolution thing out at all.

Y'know, that does bring up an interesting point. What if the monkeys one day start catching up? A group of "the missing link" shows up in a jungle somewhere. The societal changes once they gain communication and mental skills could be massive.

'Course, I never claimed to be a scientist, so I suppose there could be some reason they will never evolve further.

Well it sorta already is happening evolution is a slow process but certain types of primates have been taught sign language and other amazing things. I suspect one day they will be as smart as us but at that point we will likely be ridiculously more intelligent than we are now.

 

[Solo-Wing]

Don't be completely short sighted, evolution is only a theory.

If it were real, and we evolved from monkeys, how come there are still monkeys around? You can't explain that.

Finally. You would think that nobody thought this whole evolution thing out at all.

Y'know, that does bring up an interesting point. What if the monkeys one day start catching up? A group of "the missing link" shows up in a jungle somewhere. The societal changes once they gain communication and mental skills could be massive.

'Course, I never claimed to be a scientist, so I suppose there could be some reason they will never evolve further.

Well it sorta already is happening evolution is a slow process but certain types of primates have been taught sign language and other amazing things. I suspect one day they will be as smart as us but at that point we will likely be ridiculously more intelligent than we are now.

I have a feeling that we will make primates as smart as us with genetic engineering or something in the far distant future. Then they will take over and it will Planet of the Apes. ONLY REALZ!!!!1!

 

[aba1]

And we did come from monkeys. Too bad we did not get to keep our tails...

Some people actually are born with small tails it is not a uncommon birth defect so in some ways the trait still lives on even if it is only slightly as a defect. Also our tail bone is what is left of what would have been our tail. Just thought I would share always found this somewhat interesting.

 

[Solo-Wing]

And we did come from monkeys. Too bad we did not get to keep our tails...

Some people actually are born with small tails it is not a uncommon birth defect so in some ways the trait still lives on even if it is only slightly as a defect. Also our tail bone is what is left of what would have been our tail. Just thought I would share always found this somewhat interesting.

But that is little comfort to one who dreams of swinging around like an idiot with a tail! Now is it!?

 

[geK0]

My brother in-law actually says he doesn't believe in evolution and always scoffs when people mention fossils or dinosaurs....not sure if he's serious though because he's also kind of a troll : \

 

[JaceArveduin]

Share your stories about interactions with people who say its not real.

The real question is: Micro or Macro evolution? I've had a science teacher that believed in micro, but not macro *shrug*

 

[Ultrajoe]

Let's get classy here, and refer to it properly. Throwing around the word 'evolution' is far too broad, and means nothing to a rational discussion:

Evolution is only the idea that animals change, generation to generation, over time. Before Darwin, we had this concept and a few wacky ideas as to why it happened. You can talk evolution all day and never mention DNA or genes, because evolution is the just the notion that things evolve.

Natural Selection, AKA Darwinian Evolution, is our concept of the forces we understand to favor certain traits, features and behaviors in organisms. It is the primary force behind evolution, but is not itself evolution. Darwin never met Mendel, the granddaddy of all genetics (or 'traits' to the M-diddy), so this idea actually says nothing about DNA and genes, it just says that nature selects the fuck out of everything.

Genetics is the science that studies the chemical systems that enable the incredibly complex selection processes seen in the above concepts. It tries to understand how these mad-wicked proteins interact to produce the dazzling and wondrous forms of life we see around us. You can (with some difficulty, it must be said) do a lifetime of genetics research and never think a moment on evolution or the brilliant simplicity of natural selection.

So when we throw around the word 'evolution', what we actually mean is 'Natural selection by Darwinian processes propagating certain genetic material and producing evolutionary change'.

And you had better believe there's a difference, and that it's important.

And yes, it happens. We can always learn more about the process, though.

 

[Kolby Jack]

Ooh, TC, you just blew my mind with how confrontational and edgy you are!

/sarcasm

Get over it. Yes, there are people who don't think evolution is real; always have been, always will be. If you said your piece and provided the evidence, you've done all you can do. If people choose to believe something based solely on faith and ignorance, let them. They may be wrong, but there are so many other people who are wrong in the world, why let this particular one piss you off? You certainly won't make any headway by berating and insulting them.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/211037/november-23-2008/a-colbert-christmas--colbert-costello-duet

 

[Miles000]

So when we throw around the word 'evolution', what we actually mean is 'Natural selection by Darwinian processes propagating certain genetic material and producing evolutionary change'.

I'd say that depends on who is talking and in what sense.
In my post I was using evolution in the random mutation of DNA sense. I should have mentioned that in my original post.

It's one of those things that, because of much confusion over a long time, lacks universal terms for each part/definition.
That is probably what leads to most of the misinformation out there.

Other than that, you nailed it.