Dawkins and Darwin

7/25/2019 Dawkins and Darwin

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Felicitas Asuncion C. Elago Bio 140 V

2012-32861 May 29, 201

Evolution as a Scientific Truth: A Review On Charles Darwin's Theories and Richard

Dawkin'sThe Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution

!"e #iscussion o$ E%olution in all &iological $iel#s is sai# to &e one o$ t"e conce'ts (it"

t"e (i#est sco'e in )o#e*n science. As co))only #e$ine# in te+t&oos, it is t"e c"ange in"e*ita&le '*o'e*ties o$ &iological 'o'ulations t"*oug" consecuti%e gene*ations o%e* t"e cou*se o$

ti)e t*ic&e*ge*, 1996/. o(e%e*, t"is si)'le #e$inition #oes not *e$lect t"e yea*s o$ (o* an#

*esea*c" #oens o$ scientists "a# 'ut in to )ae t"is conce't stan# $o* ("at it #oes to#ay. !"e

#e%elo')ent o$ t"is conce't #ates &ac to t"e cli)a+ o$ t"e *ee ci%iliation. n $act, one o$t"e ea*liest s'eculations (e*e t"at o$ t"e $a)e# *ees lato an# A*istotle ("ose '"iloso'"ies

can &e use# $o* t*acing t"e *oots o$ )ost, i$ not all, sciences. e%e*al '"iloso'"e*s &e$o*e "a%e

)a#e s'eculations "ence5ot"e*s (it" )o*e acce'ta&le o'inions t"an t"e *est.

e%e*t"eless, it (as C"a*les 7a*(in ("o 'o'ula*ie# t"e conce't o$ E%olution t"e )ost

&ecause o$ "is 'u&lication in t"e 19t"centu*y conce*ning t"eo*ies an# "y'ot"eses on e%olution.is ne( 'e*s'ecti%e, al&eit cont*o%e*sial es'ecially #u*ing "is ti)e, conseuently "e*al#e#

stu#ies on t"e inte*acting $iel#s o$ enetics, Ecology, !a+ono)y, an# )o*e. t "as e%en $oun#e#

co)'letely ne( $iel#s suc" as Biocultu*al E%olution, E%olutiona*y E'iste)ology, an#eu*ocultu*e a)ong ot"e*s.

7a*(in ga%e cla*i$ications to once s"a#e# issues &y o$$e*ing ne($oun# e+'lanations (it"

e%i#ences '*o%i#e# &y "is t*i' on t"eBeagle, )ainly ("en "e %isite# t"e islan#s o$ ala'agos.ne o$ "is 'u&lications *esulting $*o) t"ese e+'e#itions (as t"en *elease# in 189 an# entitle#

On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Racesin the Struggle for Life.t inclu#e# $*es" o&se*%ations o$ a#a'tations, as (ell as "is tae on t"e)ec"anis)s t"at $uel it5(it"out t"e :"an# o$ o#; o* a su'e*natu*al &eing5an# it #e$ine# t"e

"eig"t o$ "is aca#e)ic ca*ee*. ence, "is #iscussions on no( (ell-no(n conce'ts, na)ely

Co))on 7escent, *a#ualis), o'ulational C"ange, an# atu*al election (e*e esta&lis"e#,co)'osing t"e #e$initi%e %ie( acce'te# to#ay on ("at :E%olution; is an# "o( it can occu*.

7a*(in


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>"ile it (as C"a*les 7a*(in ("o le# t"e &asic conce'ts t"at &uilt t"e )o#e*n t"eo*y on

e%olution, t"e*e (as still a )y*ia# o$ uestions le$t to &e ans(e*e# *ega*#ing t"e su&?ect. ne

%ital )yste*y su**oun#e# t"e uestion@ i$ all t"e s'ecies un#e*go a#a'tations to inc*ease $itness int"e sa)e (ay, ("y is t"e*e still g*eat #i%e*sity a)ong #i$$e*ent s'ecies su*%i%ing in t"e %e*y

sa)e en%i*on)ent e ans(e*s t"is &y saying t"at t"e*e is no single s'ecies (it" t"e &est o*

)ost :$it; t*aits t"at (ill "a%e t"e a&ility to #o)inate all ot"e*s. o(e%e*, 7a*(in coul# note+'lain #ee'e* t"e %e*y sou*ce o$ t"e %a*iations (it"in 'o'ulations an# a)ongst #i$$e*ent

s'ecies. Anot"e* )yste*y t"en (as "o( 'o'ulations o*iginate# in a ce*tain 'lace. 7a*(in $aile#

to '*o%i#e an acce'ta&le "y'ot"esis on "o( ce*tain 'lants an# ani)als a**i%e# in ce*tain *egions.!"ese (eanesses (e*e un$o*tunately a)ong t"e a*gu)ents use# &y t"e conse*%ati%e g*ou's t"at

*e$use# to st*ay a(ay $*o) *eligious teac"ings. 7eca#es o$ #e&ates ensue#.

!"e in$o*)ation ga' t"at coul# "a%e allo(e# 7a*(in to co)'lete "is "y'ot"eses one%olution an# con%ince )o*e o$ t"e &i&lical $anatics (as &*i#ge# &y Men#elian enetics an#

'*inci'les o$ eology an# can no( &e easily e+'laine# &y $ossils an# Biogeog*a'"y. !"is is

("e*e t"e i)'o*tance o$ ic"a*# 7a(ins< 2009 'u&lication he !reatest Sho" on #arth$ he

#vidence for #volution'*o'els $*o). >it" 13 c"a'te*s, 7a(ins not only inco*'o*ates t"e ne($oun#ational e%i#ences to encou*age a #ee'e* un#e*stan#ing o$ 7a*(inian E%olution, "is (o*#s

also 'ose t"e st*engt" to &attle igno*ance as "e '*o%i#e# *ic" an# #etaile# counte*a*gu)ents$ocuse# against t"e clai)s o$ t"e un&elie%ing conse*%ati%e g*ou's. e #esc*i&es "is &oo as t"e

)issing lin in "is &o#y o$ e%olution-*elate# (o*s. !o uote $*o) 7a(ins "i)sel$, :t"is &oo

is )y 'e*sonal su))a*y o$ t"e e%i#ence t"at t"e :t"eo*y; o$ e%olution is actually a $act asincont*o%e*ti&le a $act as any in science;.

>it" a#euate con%iction, 7a(ins &egins "is &oo &y e+'*essing "is #ee'-seate# &elie$

an# t"e t"esis state)ent o$ "is enti*e &oo &y saying t"at E%olution is not ?ust a )e*e t"eo*yany)o*e $o* t"eo*ies a*e )ostly #e$ine# as '*o'ose# e+'lanations ("e*eas E%olution is a $act

&ecause it *eally #i# "a''en. e )ay "a%e use# conte)'o*a*y sa*cas) to t"e 'oint o$ *i#icule

&ut "e clea*ly states t"at "is &oo is not )eant to &e anti-*eligious. A$te* all, "e sai#, "e "asal*ea#y #one so in "is ot"e* te+ts. n $act, "e s"a*es a lette* t"at "e co-(*ote (it" so)e &is"o's

an# cle*gy)en to s"o( t"at not all 'eo'le (it" *eligious &elie$s ag*ee t"at Ea*t" is only a*oun#

10, 000 along (it" t"e c*eationists, &ut in t"e cou*se o$ #iscussion, one )ay as@ a$te* se%e*alyea*s o$ science, ("y #i# 7a*(in


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no(n to &e )a#e u' o$ lengt"s o$ 7A co#es as t"e '*oo$ o$ e%olutiona*y *elate#ness, o* ("at

7a*(in i)'lie# ("en "e te*)e# :#escent (it" )o#i$ication;. =astly, "e enu)e*ate# t"e )anne*s

in ("ic" t"e Ea*t"


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e$e*ences

7a*(in, C. 1990/. n t"e o*igin o$ s'ecies &y )eans o$ natu*al selection, o* t"e '*ese*%ation o$$a%o*e# *aces in t"e st*uggle $o* li$e. C"a)'aign, =@ *o?ect uten&e*g.

7a(ins, . 2009/. !"e g*eatest s"o( on Ea*t"@ !"e e%i#ence $o* e%olution. e( o*@ F*ee*ess.

May*, E. 2001/. >"at e%olution is. e( o*@ Basic Boos.

t*ic&e*ge*, M. >. 1996/. Be$o*e 7a*(in. n E%olution '. 4/. u#&u*y, MA@ ones an# Ba*tlett

u&lis"e*s.

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Dawkins and Darwin