Enough is enough.

This is one of the most misunderstood topics there is. It’s really simple. The problem is that it’s not intuitive. So, unless you learn it properly, you’ll listen to the misleading nonsense and fail to grasp its simplicity, beauty and truth. I’ll explain by example.

Evolution is NOT this:

1. An animal lives in a place where it has to stretch its neck high to reach leaves (its food).
2. It stretches for a lifetime, eating and stretching.
3. It dies, eventually, having stretched its neck two millimetres longer over many years.
4. Before dying, it gives birth to offspring with slightly longer necks (passing on the trait).
5. They live their lives in the same way, stretching, adding more length to their neck length.
6. They pass on this trait to their offspring.
7. And so on, until a thousand years later, you’ve got a giraffe.

Don’t be impressed by misleading images such as this:

Evolution IS this:

1. An animal exists, it has poor eyesight. Let’s call this a Flob.
2. Another animal exists, it has eyesight similar to Flob. Let’s call this a Gloop.
3. Another animal exists, it has eyesight similar to Flob and Gloop. Let’s call this a Yeti.
4. The Yeti prey on the Flob and the Gloop, when they can find them. (Poor eyesight)
5. The Flob has offspring, the offspring have a tiny genetic aberration whereby their eyesight improves slightly.
6. The Gloop has offspring, the offspring have a tiny genetic aberration whereby their eyesight degrades slightly.
7. The Yeti catches more Gloop than Flob because the Gloop can see the Yeti coming a little better than the Gloop.
8. The Flob increase in numbers because they are more successful at surviving.
9. The Gloop start to die out because they get caught.
10. This process repeats over hundreds of thousands of generations, over countless millions of years. Some genetic variations provide advantages, some don’t.
11. This is called “evolution by natural selection”.

This picture is more accurate, but greatly simplified:

Important points to remember:

• The genetic changes from generation to generation are random.
• Evolution occurs over geological timespans, not over human history timespans.
• The Flob in the east will mutate into a slightly different animal than those in the west, north and south. This is how common ancestry occurs. Animals move about and their mutations are localised. Consider a “family tree” of species over huge timespans.
• So-called intermediates have such infinitesimally small variation, it’s difficult to say where one animal “ends” and another “begins”.
• Some scientists describe evolution as “a series of successful mistakes”.
• The phrase “survival of the fittest” is described above.
• If you choose to impose religion on this process, you need to provide proof.
• Evolution is a process, it has no purpose or intent. It just has effects.

What is meant by “proof”:

• The “Theory of Evolution” is backed up by a fossil record numbered in the millions.
• This theory is corroborated by multiple, complementary geochronology methods. Fossils are dated according to where they are found in rock strata, and how old those rocks are.
• Recent advances in DNA genetic sequence decoding techniques provides further evidence of a “family tree” of related species.
• Geographic dispersal of species (and their evolutionary relationships) provides further evidence to back up the theory.
• If any single shred of evidence emerged that contradicted the Theory of Evolution, it is considered debunked and scientists will search for other answers. No such evidence exists thus far.
• All evidence is subject to peer review, repeat experiment and challenge.
• Scientific proof, in this case is a colossal amount of overwhelming evidence. Compare this to actual, real religious evidence before you start to knock it.
• We didn’t evolve from apes, we are a different branch of the tree. And, we are apes, genetically and biologically. Let’s not be arrogant about it.
• If you ask the question “if man descended from apes, how come there are still apes”, please read the above explanation carefully. If you still think the question hasn’t been answered, you are stupid or wilfully ignorant – you choose. And please read a science book or two.
• Evolution is a FACT. It’s a theory, but a proven theory. Until a better theory is PROVEN. And this doesn’t look likely any time soon.

Don’t say you weren’t told.