Biological Evolution

Section 1 How Biological Evolution Supposedly Took Place Biological Evolution is the change of one kind of organism into another kind of organism. Example: a fish whose offspring changed a little each generation until the offspring became amphibians.

Lamarck’s Theory: Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics John Baptiste Lamarck was a French biologist of the early 1800’s Acquired characteristics are traits that are caused by an organism’s environment. Example: Giraffes’ long necks (He claimed that long ago giraffes had short necks and then due to drought that destroyed low growing plants…they developed longer necks) Problem: Just because you stretch your neck it doesn’t cause the genes to change and therefore the offspring would not have longer necks. See pg. 148-149

De Vries’s Theory: Evolution by Mutation Hugo De Vrie was a Dutch botanist He claimed that mutations formed new genes. Problem: Usually all that happens in chromosomal mutations is a rearrangement or a doubling of genes already in existence. Thousands of mutations may occur during an organisms life time but most of the time they are somatic mutations not germ mutations. Somatic mutation does not pass down to next generation. Germ mutations occur in cells that form gametes and can pass the changes to offspring = only a small % Mutations are harmful to organism not helpful.(Screw in clock)

Darwin’s Theory: Natural Selection Charles Darwin lived in England in the 1800’s. He was a naturalist. He traveled for five years on the ship HMS Beagle around South America. He was impressed with the Galapos Islands. He noticed the differences there in animals from other islands. Example: Finches’ beaks Wrote book: The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection which he described the theory of Natural Selection.

Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection 1. More young are produced than can live therefore some will die. 2. Competition for food, shelter and mates. 3. Every species will have some that are better able to compete for those factors. 4. Individuals that have traits to let them win will live and reproduce. 5. Those that reproduce pass on their traits. 6. Only those with traits suited to survive will reproduce and pass on their traits. (Thus evolution according to Darwin) Example: Giant Land Tortise

Selective Breeding: where man chooses the traits that he wants by allowing only those with those traits to reproduce In Natural Selection: the environment chooses the traits…Galapaos Island Turtles may be examples of natural selection developing a purebred group of organisms.

Modern Evolution Theory 1. Mutations supply new traits 2. Organisms produce more offspring than can survive. 3. Selection allows only those with the best traits to survive. Example: bat (evolutionists say a bat evolved from a rat) If so lots of mutations would have to take place in the right sequence…not likely!!!!

Section 2 A Record of Evolution? Evolutionists have tried but failed to make a good record of the history of biological evoulution. Phylogenetic Trees = The path of Evolution ( A lining up of groups) Evolutionists believe that organisms found close together on a tree are “related”. Pg. 155 Classification is the arranging of organisms into groups. Problem: Because there are many ways to group organisms every scientist has a different tree. Plus, just because two organisms are on the same tree it doesn’t make them related. Evolutionists propose that a common ancestor formed different kinds of offspring. Every time a limb of a phylogenetic tree branches, there must be a new ancestor. Problem: Most of the necessary common ancestors never existed. Evolutionists just describe them or draw them but there is no physical evidence of their existence.

Missing Links on Phylogenetic Trees Scientists look for the missing link that would provide the common ancestor needed on the tree to prove evolution. Problem: There is not just one missing link but millions of them! Problem: There is no evidence that a missing link ever existed! Example: RAT-BAT All the in-between stages are missing! Note: There are far more missing links than there are organisms on a phylogenetic tree.

Theory of Recapitulation According to evolutionists, an organism “remembers” its evolutionary past by “reliving” it before it is born. They claim that the zygote goes through all the phases of the past ancestors did as it evolved. Example: Human embryo was said to have gill slits…supposedly proof that humans had fishlike ancestors???? TRUTH: “Gill Slits” = pouches which develop into the baby’s mouth, neck, and chest. They are not used for respiration. They simply look like gill slits on a fish.

Evolution and Fossil Record Fossil Record = Record of past living things. Darwin believed that evolution was “recorded in stone” so he thought the fossil record could prove evolution. Evolutionists thought the bottom layer would hold the base of the phylogenetic trees. Problem: This is not the case rather the fossils are all jumbled up in the layers not proving the theory of evolution. Truth: Many of the supposed missing links found as fossils actually are just separate species that are now extinct. Truth about Fossil Record: No where on earth is there an uniterupted layer. And, missing links and common ancestors are NOT represented by fossils. Flood theory of fossil formation easily explains these problems. The strange and extinct organisms found in the sedimentary fossils were alive in Noah’s day. The flood waters cause the random order of fossil layers. Similar organisms found together simply meant they were together at the time of the flood or they were caught in the same current before they died.

Why People Believe In Evolution 1. Many people believe what scientists say. 2. Most people believe in evolution… so to say you disagree you have to be willing to go against the majority. 3. Some people don’t want to be different or ridiculed. 4. Satan wants people to believe in evolution. He is a deceiver (John 8:44) Satan can use it to draw people away from God!