The Importance of Teaching Evolutionary Theory By Sally McGraw

Interdisciplinary student at University of Minnesota

“ Nature Finds a Way”

It’s important to teach evolution so students can understand how life on earth works.

Fun with vocab!

Some terms have different meanings in a scientific context.

Scientific fact: an empirical observation of a thing or event.

Scientific hypothesis: a falsifiable educated guess that explains something.

Traveler sees several herds of sheep.

Hypothesis: All sheep in this country are white!

Scientific theory: many linked hypotheses that explain WHY something happens.

Inside a theory: Each hypothesis has been tested . Each hypothesis has observations and experiments that support it.

Scientific theory ≠ casual speculation

Hypotheses and theories CANNOT BE PROVED, only disproved.

Opponents of evolution: “It’s just a theory.” “It’s never been proven.”

Other unproven scientific theories are widely accepted.

These theories have no faith-based counter-arguments.

Let’s quickly review the one that does.

Evolutionary theory studied and tested since 1859

Charlie “Pull My Beard” Darwin 1809 - 1882

Darwin: Common descent with modification

Darwin: Natural selection

Natural selection = those with beneficial traits will survive to reproduce

Not fast enough? Not strong enough? Not smart enough?

Genes have been passed on

Gregor “Punnet Square” Mendel 1822 - 1884

AB Ab Ab AB AABb

AB Ab Ab AB AABb AAbb

AB Ab Ab AB AABb AAbb BLAH

AB Ab Ab AB AABb AAbb BLAH BLAH

AB Ab Ab AB AABb AAbb BLAH BLAH BLAH

AB Ab Ab AB AABb AAbb BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH

AB Ab Ab AB AABb AAbb BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH

AB Ab Ab AB AABb AAbb BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH

Thanks a lot, Greggie.

Mendel: Traits caused by genes

Evolution = a change in a population’s gene pool over time

Other research: Evolution fueled by many factors.

Adaptation

Mutation

Sexual selection

Evolution ≠ natural selection

Natural selection is one of many factors that CAUSE evolution.

The fossil record supports common descent and natural selection.

Comparative anatomy supports common descent and natural selection.

Homologous physical structures indicate shared ancestry.

HUH?

Vestigial structures also support shared ancestry.

English, please.

Convergent evolution shows that organisms living in similar environments will adapt similarly.

Closely related, right?

Nope.

Northern Flying Squirrel Native to North America Mammal

Northern Flying Squirrel Native to North America Mammal Sugar Glider Native to Australia Marsupial

Shows that animals change physically to adapt to their environments.

Molecular biology supports evolutionary theory.

DNA is the universal genetic code

Supports common ancestry Has shown genetic relationships between species

Supports common ancestry Has shown genetic relationships between species

That’s a lot of evidence.

Evolution cannot be seen with the naked eye.

However, this supporting body of evidence validates it.

Evolutionary theory is an underlying principle in biology.

Students must grasp it to understand modern scientific thought.

Fundamental and underlying IS NOT ENOUGH.

All are built on ideas, theories, and discoveries that simultaneously rely on and provide evidence for evolution.

Study of modern hereditary disease

Evolution connects the dots.

“ Seen in the light of evolution, biology is, perhaps, intellectually the most satisfying and inspiring science. Without that light it becomes a pile of sundry facts some of them interesting or curious but making no meaningful picture as a whole.” ~Theodosius Dobzhansky, The American Biology Teacher

What kind of dots are we connecting, here?

If …

Then why …

If …

Then how …

If …

Then what …

Understanding evolutionary theory is essential to understanding modern science.

Evolution and faith: mutually exclusive?

“ [Debaters wrongly present the two sides] as if they were alternatives that are exclusive - whoever believes in the creator could not believe in evolution, and whoever asserts belief in evolution would have to disbelieve in God.” ~Pope Benedict XVI , as quoted in the New York Post, July 26, 2007

“ This contrast is an absurdity, because there are many scientific tests in favor of evolution , which appears as a reality that we must see and enriches our understanding of life and being .” ~Pope Benedict XVI , as quoted in the New York Post, July 26, 2007

“ But the doctrine of evolution does not answer all questions, and it does not answer, above all, the great philosophical question: From where does everything come? ” ~Pope Benedict XVI , as quoted in the New York Post, July 26, 2007

He’s right.

“ Anglicans, Catholics, most Protestant Christians, and Conservative and Reformed Jews believe that God is the Creator, but that he works through the process of evolution, as revealed through modern science.” ~National Center for Science Education

Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, the United Church of Christ and many other denominations do not assert that Creation occurred literally as described in Genesis. The majority of Christian seminaries do not teach a Biblical literalist creation. ~National Center for Science Education

Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, the United Church of Christ and many other denominations do not assert that Creation occurred literally as described in Genesis. The majority of Christian seminaries do not teach a Biblical literalist creation. ~National Center for Science Education

A small but powerful minority see evolution as a threat to God.

“ It is ludicrous to mistake the Bible and the Koran for primers of natural science. They treat of matters even more important: the meaning of man and his relations to God. ” ~Theodosius Dobzhansky, The American Biology Teacher

It’s important to teach evolution so students can understand how life on earth works.

Evolutionary theory = backbone of modern biology

To omit it is to deprive students of a fundamental and vital body of scientific thought.

Thank you