Evolution

Put simply...

Charles Darwin argued that human evolution took billions of years to occur entirely. Life began as simple cells which developed in water, which is known as primordial soup. These cells turned into small sea creatures, which in turn, developed legs and crawled out of the sea. Darwin theorised that all land animals and birds, including humans, developed from these simple cells. He bases his theory on adaptations of animals in various environment and the potential benefits of genetic mutations.

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During his visit to the islands, Darwin noted that the unique creatures were similar from island to island, but perfectly adapted to their environments which led him to ponder the origin of the islands' inhabitants. He observed that different finches on the island all had different beaks, depending on what kind of food they ate.  Some would have large beaks for cracking open nuts, and others would have smaller, more delicate beaks to eat insects. Darwin theorised that all of these finches descended from a common ancestor, and adapted to their environments through natural selection.

Darwin's Research

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Natural Selection

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Because of variations in a gene pool of a species, not all organisms are the same. Some variations may be beneficial for animals, therefore allowing it a better chance of survival. For example, an animal might have longer claws which help it to hunt more easily, or it may have stronger leg muscles to run away from danger. Nature will select those organisms that can survive. The variations may provide some individuals with an advantage, and by default, put other organisms without the same trait at a disadvantage. Because organisms with these variations are more likely to survive, they are more likely to be passed on to future generations. This results in more of the population having the variation.

Evidence for Evolution

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Fossils - The basilosaurid whale lived 34-40 million years ago. Its blow-hole in the skull was not at the end of the snout, like land mammals, or at the top of the head like whales today, but instead it was in between. Anatomy comparisons - Whales have blow-holes to breathe, and they split into two nasal passages inside their head. Whales also have the same arm, wrist, hand and finger bones as other mammals, and have some form of hip, thigh and shin bones where their hind legs ought to be. DNA comparisons - The closest genetic relative of whales are hippos. Biologists theorise that they both evolved from a common ancestor who lived about 54 million years ago. Embryology and development - Both human and dolphin embryos have arm and leg buds in the early stages. A dolphin foetus will develop nasal passages in the same place as a dog or human foetus, which will move to the top of the head and fuse together.

The Origin of Life

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Scientists do not currently have an explanation for the origin of life itself. Here are a few ideas; All life evolved from primitive, cellular colonies, 3.5 billion years ago. We know that cells in living things have constant chemical reactions, which happen in sequence and are called metabolic pathways. Amino acids and sugars combine to create structure such as genes, protein and cell membranes. Scientists didn't understand where these chemicals of life came from, so they referred to this as the 'vital force.' Friedrich Wohler accidentally created urea in his lab, which challenged the belief that urine could only be made inside a living creature. Life may have emerged from non-living chemistry. Amino acids and sugars have been found in meteorites, which means they are being produced naturally in the solar system. When chemicals are given energy, they either break or make bonds. They assemble themselves into formations that can resemble the structure of a cell or strand of DNA.

Does evolution disprove God?

It is a mistake to believe that scientists whole-heartedly support Darwin's theories and that Christians whole-heartedly reject them. Among Christians there has been a variety of response to Darwin's theories. Some theists believe that God could have put evolution in motion, or that he micro-manages each tiny change and adaptation.  Therefore, evolution doesn't conclusively destroy any belief in God. Christian Support Some Christians, like J.H. Newman, welcomed evolution as suggesting a better idea of God's providence or skill. Charles Kingsley declared that 'God was so wise that He could make all things; behold He is so much wiser... He can make all things make themselves.'

Frederick Temple (who later became the Archbishop of Canterbury) recognised the value of evolution in presenting a unified view of creation. He said that this spoke more of a unified creation than the traditional creationist view that all species were created separately. Compatible with religion There is no fault in the logic that God started the evolutionary process. Darwin was not trying to disprove God when he wrote Origin of Species, as it is clear that he did not feel that his theory destroyed a belief in God; "It seems absurd to me to doubt that man can be an ardent theist and evolutionist." Although Darwin did lose his faith towards the end of his life, it was not from his theories, but as a result of the injustice of the suffering and death of his daughter.