Kyla Rand Section HB- McGough Argument of Definition November 15, 2013 Biological Evolution The world started

with a big bang. Atoms collided, space exploded, and suddenly there was a new planet. This planet started with just one cell that divided into several cells. These cells divided and changed until that one first cell became bacteria, dinosaurs, fish, and monkeys. Monkeys advanced over millions of years to become cavemen, and cavemen became humans. Every species alive on this earth has developed from dozens of other species that all came from the same original cell that appeared when the earth formed at the Big Bang. There was no god; nothing was created on purpose. Everything just changed overtime to become what they are today. This is what it means to have biological evolution. Or is it? Deciding how the earth began and how humans came to look and think like they do today has caused a huge riff between scientists and supporters of the Creationist view. Repeatedly, parents and teachers take each other to court on the basis of religious offenseeither the parent believes that teaching evolution is against their faith, or the teacher stands behind teaching evolution because it is an important scientific theory and has nothing to do with combating religion. As a result, the lessons that teachers give to their students in elementary and middle school are carefully monitored so that children are not swayed one way or the other, and yet these impressionable minds often grow up with the idea that evolution is an evil idea. No one can support both ideas, they learn; it has to be one or the other, and the people that choose evolution are anti-Christianity. But most of the conflicts Creationists have with evolution are actually very inaccurate. Evolution has nothing to do with how the earth began, and very few scientists believe that all living creatures are descendants of one original species. Biological evolution is simply the genetic change of a species that is passed on from generation to generation. The Father of Evolution, Charles Darwin, came up with this idea while studying every living creature he could get his hands on. His most important contribution to the theory of evolution was the idea of natural selection, or rather the idea that certain traits help a species survive. When the environment around a species changes, that species adapts to better live in the new environment. Those that do not have that trait die off in greater numbers, and the surviving creatures with that trait survive and reproduce more. Then that trait is passed down through more generations until most, if not all, of the species can be found with that trait. This, the initial concept of evolution, has been observed time and again in a variety of species. However, during Darwins exploration of this concept, he never actually called it evolution. Only later, when other scientists used that word to describe his work, would he consent to use the term (Wilkins). The very basis of the theory of evolution was not the origin of life on earth, but on how species adapt over the course of time, a fact that can easily be observed and proven.

Since Darwins time, evolution has become a concept studied world-wide. Scientists from all backgrounds study evolution, and that includes scientists of all faiths. Evolution has nothing to do with disproving that there is a god (Bailey). One of the greatest misconceptions of the evolutionary debate, this idea causes the greatest divide between Creationists and Evolutionists, but it is completely founded in misunderstanding. Biological evolution does not define how the world began whatsoever. What evolution does involve are two concepts called macroevolution and microevolution. Macroevolution is another misconception about what evolution means. The older, controversial idea of macroevolution is that all species came from the same original cell and have since then evolved into the diversity of creatures that they are today. Creationists find this view especially repugnant because Christianity states that God created all creatures individually. They believe that because of macroevolution, evolution means that one cell is the originator, the creator, of all other cells. But in reality, macroevolution is a very vague topic among scientists. Few believe it means the origination of the diversity of life comes back to one cell. Most commonly, macroevolution is defined by the idea that all species evolve from preexisting species (Wilkins). This idea can be proven just by observing natural selection taking place. For instance, if one type of bird was defined as a species by the curve at the tip of its beak, then evolved because its food source changed and ended up with a straight, long beak, which would be a new species. To have macroevolution just means to have new generations with new traits that werent in their ancestors. The other type of evolution is microevolution, when changes occur on the genetic level. Consider what happens when plant biologists create a new species of corn, one that is resistant to a certain type of invasive insect. They cross the traits of one plant with corn, or they genetically alter the genes to change the genetic makeup. This results in a new type of crop that the bugs cant eat and destroy but is still safe to eat. In the end, they have effectively created a new breed. But then those very insects that the new type of corn was created to withstand still needs to eat. So that species of bug learns to adapt in the hopes of being able to consume that crop once again. After a few years, the only bugs that will have survived will have the genetic makeup necessary to withstand the evolved corn. Then scientists will have to begin again in creating a new breed of crop. This example involves several cases of microevolution as both plant and animal changes to survive longer, coinciding exactly with Darwins original theory of evolution, natural selection. These genetic changes are what happens on a minute scale when macroevolution occurs. As the genes change, the species change; as the species change, new species are formed. To have biological evolution at all, there must be microevolution. Ultimately, biological evolution is the adaption that results in a genetic change that happens when new traits form in a species. It is not the Creation Story, a theory about how the earth

began; it is not an argument against any religion. Just as Darwin first realized over a hundred years ago, it simply means that genes change. Like any other theory, the concept of biological evolution will change over time, as new advancements are made and new ideas are formed. No theory is guaranteed as proof, and there is always room for improvement. But this, the basis of biological evolution, will have the same definition it has had ever since Charles Darwin first came up with it: adaption.

Works Cited Bailey, Regina. "Biological Evolution." About.com. About.com. Web. 13 Nov 2013. Wilkins, John. "Defining Evolution." National Center for Science Education. 21.1-2 (2001): 29-37. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.