Evolution is a fascinating process, and it really helps us understand the living world that surrounds us.
We can see evolution in action almost anywhere that we look today, in fact, there is a good chance that you are evolving at this very minute, or at least carrying random DNA mutations which can be passed onto your children which gives them a better or worse chance of surviving in this world.
Let’s take a little look at some facts surrounding evolution.
Observable Examples of Evolution
Many people dismiss evolution as simply being a theory, perhaps because it is labeled The Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin.
However, it has extended way past the point where Charles Darwin first introduced evolutionary theory.
Evolution is a science fact the same as the Earth is round. We might not be 100% on the details, just as the Earth isn’t exactly round, it bulges, but no one today would argue the Earth is flat and no reputable scientist should argue evolution does not occur.
Evolution is actually observable before our very eyes, we can see the process of evolution by means of natural selection at work, not only in labs but in the wild, and it is something which is continually happening.
Biological Evolution Started 3.7 Billion Years Ago
Well, around that time frame. The earliest species were bacteria which dominated the land and the sea.
We are direct descendants of those bacteria, and it shows the massive changes that evolution can force upon us.
We (life on Earth) is one big family of related DNA.
It’s a scientific fact that all species have DNA and we all fit on the DNA family tree.
Evidence of Evolution – the Fossil Record
Since Charles Darwin put forward his theory of evolution, many fossils have been discovered. The fossil record, though not perfect allow us to view evolution over time.
In fact, put all of these fossils together and it shows that evolution simply works and you can witness evolution over millions of years for yourself.
As time passes many of the milling links in the fossil record will be filled. Consider we are looking through billions of years worth of fossils, we’ve barely scratched the surface of what is out there.
Evolution Timeline
Evolution is recent, well sort of at least, in the grand scheme of things, modern evolution is quite recent. The first three billion years of earth was just bacteria. The first advanced biological species i.e. jellyfish didn’t appear to around 7OO million years ago.
Evolution Fact: We Share 70% of our DNA with a Slug
I know it’s not the most exciting of science facts, however, this goes to show that we all have a common ancestor. Isn’t it surprising that well over half of our DNA can also be found in a creature which is incredibly different from us, well incredibly different from most people at least, not too sure about the creationists : it’s a joke, please don’t smite me!
This sort of statistic can be found almost everywhere you look, for example, there are thousands of animals where we share over 70% of our DNA, of course, the most popular of these is the ape, I just found the slug example to be slightly more exciting!
These are facts not speculative theories.
Human Origins : We are Newly Evolved
Isn’t this odd? We consider ourselves the most advanced species on the planet, but we are new arrivals.
We’ve adapted to the planet in such a way we’ve dominated almost all of it and are looking to the stars, but are we truly the best, most evolved species on the planet?
Would we survive the sorts of natural disasters that wiped out the dinosaurs?
Maybe so, maybe not, whether we survive or not the bacteria and probably the humble cockroach would.
Precambrian Era Evolution
The Precambrian Period is the point in which history changed for good.
This began around 600 million years ago and that was when the first creatures with bones and shells began to appear. More organisms appeared during this time than any other point in history, and it is observable.
Dinosaurs Weren’t the first Reptiles to Evolve
The first reptiles actually came many millions of years before dinosaurs, although many people regarded dinosaurs as the ‘earliest’ form of large life on the planet.
The first reptiles crawled onto land 340 million years ago, whereas dinosaurs didn’t pop along until 220 million years ago, but they had pretty good innings as they stuck around for 160 million years.
Birds Evolved from Reptiles
There is verifiable proof that birds evolved from reptiles and some mammal like creatures. This is probably one of the main things which points towards a common ancestor theme.
Evolution Doesn’t Aim to discover the Origin of Life
One of the main problems that the theory of evolution had was with the church.
They claimed that evolution theory was not religious at all, and Charles Darwin was persecuted by his peers as a result.
Contrary to popular belief though, the theory of evolution doesn’t aim to discover the purpose of life, that is up to interpretation, which is why so many religious people still follow science: theistic evolution.
The science of evolution does not preclude a God or creator, we still do not know for sure how life first developed on the Earth or even if it did first develop here. There are theories life could have developed on other planets and asteroid fragments brought the first microscopic life to Earth.
Until science discovers the answers to the origin of life we just don’t know how life began, but we do know life has evolved over the past few billion years culminating in you reading this awesome article on ten evolution facts and posting your opinions in the comments below :-)
I see you have not shown us any evolution facts, that we can visually see, that proves anything has evolved from one kind to another kind.
Bacteria after all these years is/are still bacteria, apes still apes, jellyfish still jellyfish. How does one kind, supposedly, become another kind… and where is the evolving examples?
How do we know the age of these fossils, when carbon dating, ice core samples, isotope dating have been found to be completely unreliable.
Basalt from Mt. St. Helens found to be 8 million years old.
We need one, just one, observable, testable example to help the debate… facts only please.
AJ try watching how the earth was made the tv series. I am 11/12 and i think u need to stop contradicting the truth. Idiot
It is called a museum. Go there. Look up the E-coli experiment, or go to a Museum. Any museum, and those are manufactured creationist lies. Thanks for trying.
We have accurate dating. We know what we are doing. You probably just like creationism more. Oh well, fiction can be fun, or funny.
Darwin’s theory did more to promote atheism than any other theory. Humans have died behind the “survival of the fittest” nonsense. Natural selection is a dead theory. No transitional species have or will be found because there isn’t any. No bird man, No fish man and definitely NO APE man. Microbiology proves that man is “Irreducibly complex.” You evidently don’t know much about RNA or DNA or how a cell works. There has been only one verifiable cell mutation. The Sickle cell. Less oxygen for the normal blood cell. Africans who have this cell don’t get malaria. They are anemic as the oxygen content of their blood is lacking. Please quit spouting nonsense about the age of our planet and the fossil records. You are basically ignorant of true science. Go back to school and learn the truth.
I went to college to learn about science and I cant tell you now that there is truth in the article and I have also read Charles Darwin’s book about evolution. so before you start criticising on what people have said I would check your background knowledge before you start typing.
Darwin was proved wrong a long time ago, science books are mainly outdated or just wrong in high schools today and carbon dating is worthless a proven fact also. many examples to prove the inaccuracy of carbon date lines on the internet and other books out to look at. If your truly interested in facts. Remember B.S. learned is B.S. spread, it wont make it true. I think intelligent design makes a lot more sense and takes a lot less of a leap of faith to believe.
Haven’t you taken 8th grade science yet?
mike…you mean 8th grade pseudo science….
I have no problem w/ schools teaching this but they can’t push it as fact… and whoever wrote this article isn’t very good at proving a point like he said he would….
the following was my favorite part of the article:
Evolution is a science fact the same as the Earth is round. We might not be 100% on the details, just as the Earth isn’t exactly round, it bulges, but no one today would argue the Earth is flat and no reputable scientist should argue evolution does not occur.
He states that evolution is science fact…. then turns around and says we aren’t 100 percent clear on the details… isn’t science fact supposed to be 100 percent ….
you sir…. became discredited and this article became instant garbage as soon as you wrote that.
“..isn’t science fact supposed to be 100 percent…”
No.
Nothing in science is proved 100%. Not even things like an (almost) spherical Earth. There is always a chance we could be wrong. Includes evolution, too.
What science does is work in probabilities. When the evidence amassed for an idea is so overwhelming that the chance of being wrong is very tiny, and the chance of being right is enormous, then we consider it as if it has been proven and work with it as if were certain – when in reality there is a tiny chance we could yet be wrong.
Germ theory is not proven 100%. But the evidence for germs is so overwhelming that we say, “Good enough for us” and we then utilize germ theory to develop medicines, etc.
Same for Evolution. Overwhelming evidence says “Good enough” and we proceed from there. Our acceptance of evolution is vital, BTW, to making new medicines. Also to our progress in agriculture. But that’s another story, another post.
Brad,
As title days, science facts are NOT 100% certain. Nothing is 100% in science.
Science works on probabilities. When the evidence amassed on an idea is such that the chance of being wrong is miniscule and the chance of being right ALMOST certain, we assume that’s good enough and proceed as if it were 100% certain.
For example, germ theory is not 100% certain. Maybe it will work out there are no germs as we think we know them. But the evidence for them is so overwhelming, and the chance of our being wrong so tiny, that we proceed as if it is certain that germ theory is true. We then begin to use germ theory to develop medicines, etc.
Same for evolution. Evidence for it is overwhelming. Our chance of being wrong is miniscule. So we proceed as if it is true, even when there remains a very small chance we are wrong. BRW, acceptance of the fact of evolution is crucial to the development of new medicines. Also to the advances in agriculture.
Life May Have Originated Miles Underground
http://www.newser.com/story/178867/life-may-have-originated-miles-underground.html
Evolution does not say one creature has to change into another, it says that one creature can evolve from another, some bacteria changed and now we have what we have, doesn’t mean bacteria will no longer exist
Pretty much the same thing if you ask most evolutionists.
I agree no missing link has ever been shown or found, no transitional fossils ever, it’s a lie because they can’t handle God, he makes them feel guilty, so they reject him.
lol, your letting the facts interfere with a good story. Evolution is a religion because you have to take some of it on faith. The faith part is the departure from science.
AJ, if evolution itself isn’t a satisfactory explanation of your idea of life then I doubt any facts will change your stance on it, because anything that a scientist does to help prove that evolution exists is something you’re just going to put down.
When they show a half man half fish fossil, I will believe it.
Evolution is not near fact actually.
You’re saying there are transitional fossils?? There are none.. leading evolutionists have even proclaimed that.
Of the ones you speak of they have bed debunked… and realize they make these imaginary photos out of bone fragments and bone shavings.
No where in natural history have we ever found a species to turn into another one through the rarest of chances….mutations..
it goes against the common laws we know to be true. No transitional fossils (which there should obviously be billions) ….no evolution.
PERIOD
I think you people should stop contradicting this guy. He’s just putting what he wants to put on the internet about evolution. If I had the chance, I would show you that all of you who believe evolution is true are believing the wrong thing.
The Universe was not created millions of years ago, The second coming of Christ will come soon, we were all created by the one and only God that lives in Heaven. This is what I believe, and this is why I became a Seventh-Day Adventist and I’m proud to say that. This article is what this person believes, and nobody should get mad at him/her because of their choice of what to believe.
I believe this is a free country, and we all are free to speak whatever we want to say, instead of being forced to say what other people want to hear.
African people are dark skinned because melanin in their skin blocks the harmful rays of the sun. it’s very sunny a lot of the time in africa. european, russian, and Japanese people are light skinned because its cloudy in those places. no need for as much melanin. native americans and mexicans are brown because there are less clouds in america than europe. need i say more? Thanks man!
That is why you believe your religion?
This article and evolution are true without a doubt. if you can’t simply set your beliefs aside for a second then i feel bad for you. because instead of taking all this in and seeing how beautiful the world is, you’re stuck in this false story that was made up because modern technology wasn’t around to prove the true creation of everything around you. WE ARE ALL ANIMALS!!! JUST LIKE A SLUG! ;-)
INTERESTING HOW THE TITLE OF THE BLOG IS “10 FACTS ABOUT EVOLUTION” AND THEN THE AUTHOR PROCEEDS TO PRESENT ZERO FACTS ABOUT EVOLUTION LOL
WHAT HE DOES PRESENT HOWEVER IS THE SAME OLD TALKING POINTS BASED ON
CIRCULAR REASONING, FALSE ASSUMPTIONS, PRESUMTIVE EXPECTATIONS, FRAUD, ETC IN A SILLY ATTEMPT TO DISCREDIT THE GOD OF THE JUDEO CHRISTIAN BIBLE!! THERE IS NOT ONE SHRED OF BONA FIDE TO SUPPORT THE DEBUNKED (MANY TIMES) DARWINS THEORY OF MACRO EVOLUTION BASED ON CONTINUED FAVORABLE RANDOM MUTATION ( 99% OF RANDOM MUTATION IS DESTRUCTIVE, NOT CONSTRUCTIVE.. IT IS MUCH EASIER TO BELIEVE THAT IF THE OCEAN WERE TO SPIT OUT MILLIONS OF NEW ROLEX WATCHES IT ALL HAPPENED BY RANDOM CHANCE, IT JUST TOOK BILLIONS OF YEARS LOL IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHOW ME THE EVIDENCE FOR THIS FALSE THOERY PLEASE EMAIL ME AT email deleted
THANKS BILLY ADAMS
Maybe you could evolve to learn basic net etiquette and NOT yell at people online.
Creating a comment fully in uppercase is really bad form, it’s hard to read and shows a level of disrespect to those around you, try clicking CAPS LOCK off next time!
If you wish to believe a pixie in the sky created the Universe and you, fine your church needs ignorant Neanderthals to fill it’s Pews.
I’ll stick with the peer reviewed scientific method and believe great minds like Charles Darwin know more than those that follow the Christian Bible that was paid for by a Pagan Roman Emperor to control the masses.
Oh and let us not forget King James part in the Bible, you’d think someone who wanted facts wouldn’t follow silly beliefs like there’s a god without any evidence.
Darwinism Rules
evolution is a joke!!
Evolution has not been proven. Science requires observation and testing with repeated consistent results. No kind of animal or human has ever produced anything other than it’s kind. There has never been a beneficial mutation. All that talk and no scientific evidence. I do see faith being exerted. Problem with that is once you take anything on faith it is a religion. You just believe it but, you can not scientifically prove it. Evolution is a religion once you depart from science.
Briony to learn the truth read the Bible