Many people seem to have some rather large misinterpretations about what evolution really is.
Fallacy #1: Man evolved from apes.
This is completely inaccurate. Man did not come from apes at all. Man came from a more primitive type of man, who in turn came from another primitive type. Apes also came from one of these prototypes, thus creating two completely different organisms. They mutated to become the form they are now, while we mutated to become the living, reasoning creatures we are.
Fallacy #2: Creatures adapt to their environments and form new species.
I hate to say it, but concerning long term species changes, adaptation is not the reason. It is due to mutation, or a change in the DNA. This is how it works. One member of a particular species had his DNA form just a little bit different through a mutation during development (before any exposure to the environment). The mutation is most often attributed to malfunctions in mitosis or meiosis. Many mutations never surface either because the offspring cannot survive the mutation or the offspring never physically shows the mutation. In a few, they develop a trait that sets them off slightly from the rest of the group. Environmental changes may occur (like a huge meteor) making the living environment unlivable for some of the species. The member with the mutation, however, may have such a mutation that allows him to survive the change. His ability to survive makes him an attractive mate to any viable partner. He is more likely to have offspring survive and pass on his special mutation, who will in turn have more survivor offspring. Over long amounts of time, many mutations will occur (usually very subtle and undistinguishable), sometimes enough so that a different creature has been created. It is only made a different species when it is unable to mate with the others that did not acquire the mutations.
Case in point: A group of people are forced to work and live in the hotter areas of Africa. They are not native to the area and have lighter skin. Their skin grows dark from the exposure, but when their children are born the offspring still have light skin until they too are exposed to the sun. One person in the group has just a little bit darker complexion than the others and is able to tolerate the sun more than the others. The others in the group, being unaccostomed to the sun, become sick due to sun strokes or even skin cancers. They are not a very attractive mate possibility due to their illness, but the person with the slightly darker skin who tolerates the sun better has not gotten sick. More people will be attracted to him than the sick guys. He has many children, all of which have slightly darker skin also. They grow old enough to reproduce and become the more attractive mates because of their livelihood. As time goes on, everyone in the group has darker skin since the pale guys have died from illness. The skin gets darker and darker over time, resulting in a totally different skin color.
Creatures cannot pass on adaptations. Adaptations are temporary changes in a creature that has not changed DNA (like getting a tan or larger muscles from weight lifting). A mutation, or change in the DNA, must occur and that mutation must help the organism to have a better chance of survival over others. If the creature is more able to survive, it will be able to create more offspring with that mutation for survival.
I'm choosing to stay out of the side picking, but if you are going to take one, I thought your arguement would be better if it was fully accurate.
Fallacy #1: Man evolved from apes.
This is completely inaccurate. Man did not come from apes at all. Man came from a more primitive type of man, who in turn came from another primitive type. Apes also came from one of these prototypes, thus creating two completely different organisms. They mutated to become the form they are now, while we mutated to become the living, reasoning creatures we are.
Fallacy #2: Creatures adapt to their environments and form new species.
I hate to say it, but concerning long term species changes, adaptation is not the reason. It is due to mutation, or a change in the DNA. This is how it works. One member of a particular species had his DNA form just a little bit different through a mutation during development (before any exposure to the environment). The mutation is most often attributed to malfunctions in mitosis or meiosis. Many mutations never surface either because the offspring cannot survive the mutation or the offspring never physically shows the mutation. In a few, they develop a trait that sets them off slightly from the rest of the group. Environmental changes may occur (like a huge meteor) making the living environment unlivable for some of the species. The member with the mutation, however, may have such a mutation that allows him to survive the change. His ability to survive makes him an attractive mate to any viable partner. He is more likely to have offspring survive and pass on his special mutation, who will in turn have more survivor offspring. Over long amounts of time, many mutations will occur (usually very subtle and undistinguishable), sometimes enough so that a different creature has been created. It is only made a different species when it is unable to mate with the others that did not acquire the mutations.
Case in point: A group of people are forced to work and live in the hotter areas of Africa. They are not native to the area and have lighter skin. Their skin grows dark from the exposure, but when their children are born the offspring still have light skin until they too are exposed to the sun. One person in the group has just a little bit darker complexion than the others and is able to tolerate the sun more than the others. The others in the group, being unaccostomed to the sun, become sick due to sun strokes or even skin cancers. They are not a very attractive mate possibility due to their illness, but the person with the slightly darker skin who tolerates the sun better has not gotten sick. More people will be attracted to him than the sick guys. He has many children, all of which have slightly darker skin also. They grow old enough to reproduce and become the more attractive mates because of their livelihood. As time goes on, everyone in the group has darker skin since the pale guys have died from illness. The skin gets darker and darker over time, resulting in a totally different skin color.
Creatures cannot pass on adaptations. Adaptations are temporary changes in a creature that has not changed DNA (like getting a tan or larger muscles from weight lifting). A mutation, or change in the DNA, must occur and that mutation must help the organism to have a better chance of survival over others. If the creature is more able to survive, it will be able to create more offspring with that mutation for survival.
I'm choosing to stay out of the side picking, but if you are going to take one, I thought your arguement would be better if it was fully accurate.
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