Evolution

Not to be confused with "Evilution".

MrIntelligentDesign's comments have been mirrored to his own page, due to its lack of scientific accuracy and coherency. (After MrID wrote the same thing for the second time after removal) Because this page is not intended to be a debate forum, his comments are removed again, but they are still on his own page, where people can still see it (so it isn't censorship). Sorry Edgar, do this on your own page or somewhere else. It doesn't belong here. (After MrID wrote the same thing again for the third time after removal) Dear Edgar, People can clearly see here above that you wrote something on this page. They can click on the link and see what you wrote, so you don't have to put your shit back on this page again and again.

1Description

While the term is used in various ways, in this context "evolution" refers to change of inherited traits among reproductive populations over generations, which is summarily defined as "descent with [inherent genetic] modification" as coined by Charles Darwin. It is a natural phenomenon that encompasses the diversity of all life. One of the driving mechanisms behind this process is "natural selection".

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You cannot escape your own heritage.

The theory of evolution (ToE) is the scientific model that explains how and why biological evolution occurs, as well as explaining the unity and diversity of life (not its origins) by concluding that every known species extant or extinct, is the result of evolution through common descent (and a few other processes such as "horizontal gene transfer" and "endosymbiosis.") As a result of the overwhelming evidence in favor of the theory, it represents the consensus of the scientists in the field of biology and science in general, thereby making it one of the strongest and well-supported theories in science. The theory of evolution is the very backbone of modern biology and understanding evolution has become a fundamental aspect in that particular field of science.

Understanding evolution (especially how it works) isn't easy. In order to adequately understand evolution, you need to have a basic understanding of many different things, including cellular biology, genetics, anatomy, geology, palaeontology, taxonomy, and more. It is a very complex subject and passing biology classes in college requires following many lessons on evolution, depending on what schools you are talking about. Many notable scientists throughout history have devoted their entire careers to this very subject, and many still do. Despite this, there are quite a few people who dismiss the entire scientific paradigm by asserting that evolution is "just a theory, not a fact" (among other asinine statements), as if they know better than every expert anywhere ever. The bulk of this category consists mainly of scientifically illiterate morons.

Etymology and Semantics

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Semantics, how every argument eventually boils down to.

The word "evolution" (from the Latin root word "evolutio", meaning "to unroll" or the act of opening a book) traces its origins back to the 17th century when it was used to mean various things, including the description of physical movement, such as a tactical wheeling manoeuvre to realign the troops or ships. In early science, it was used as a synonym of "growth" and "development". Eventually the term came to be used in a more general way for progressive change. Ironically, Charles Darwin didn't prefer this word to describe the process of population level changes across generations. He used the phrases "transmutation by means of natural selection" and "descent with modification". Darwin used the word "evolution" only once in his book "On the origins of species"

"There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved."

Contemporary scientists, such as Julian Huxley (aka Darwin's Bulldog), adopted the term "Evolution" and is still in use by scientists today as the accepted technical term, although scientists still use the word in different ways. Cosmologists often refer to the process of how stars are "born", change and "die" as "Stellar Evolution". Under this general and rather nebulous use, "evolution" simply means "change over time". Creationists often exploit this semantical aspect of the term to misrepresent evolutionary theory. One infamous example is the "6 types of evolution" by Kent Hovind, wherein big bang cosmology, nucleosynthesis, stellar/planetary accretion and abiogenesis are all erroneously lumped together under the banner of "evolution" as if they were all part of the same thing wherein "everything came from nothing without God". They do this give the illusion that their denial of science is limited to just one thing, not to multiple aspect of independent fields of science. Creationists attempts to straw-man evolution is an easy excuse to explain why most people have such a fucked-up view of what evolution is, but it isn't always their fault. Popular media that seem to promote evolution as a positive thing such as "Pokemon", "the X-men" and various movies that use evolution as a trope, spread misconception more often than correct them.

Unless the context is specified otherwise, in the modern biological context "evolution" refers to an aspect of population genetics - in which case, it is summarily defined as "Descent with Inherent [genetic] modification". Paraphrased for clarity, it is a process of changing allele frequencies among reproductive populations over generations, which leads to changes in either the morphology and/or physiology of descendant subsets. When compiled over many generations, these changes can expand biodiversity when increasing variation between genetically-isolated groups eventually lead to one or more descendant branches that are increasingly distinct from their ancestors and/or cousins. - Or if you prefer, the process by which life forms diversify via "descent with modification".