Does the geography of the world affect the way in which species evolve?
Geography and the evolution of species have been closely linked for hundreds of years. Continental drift was the first major event that had a direct effect on the evolution of species. Continental drift affected the evolution of animals through isolated speciation.
The theory of continental drift states that there was one big supercontinent 200 million years ago. This continent was called Pangaea. Pangaea then started to break up into two separate continents. The two continents name was Laurasia and Gondwanaland. These two continents were during the Jurassic period (150 million years ago). These two continents then further broke up to form our continents today. This happened at the end of the Cretaceous period (65 million years ago).
Figure 1.1 showing continental drift.
In 1915 Alfred Wegener who was a German geologist discovered identical fossils of plants and animals on different sides of the Atlantic. This led Wegener to believe that the continents were once connected. After Wegener’s findings scientists showed that plate tectonics caused continental drift which led to evolution of species.
Figure 1.2 showing fossil remains found by Alfred Wegener
Biogeographers were now able to identify that when the continents have a collision species are able to mix and then when the continents then separate they take their species with them. For example Africa, South America, Australia and New Zealand were part of Gondwanaland. Plate tectonics caused the continents to split. A group of species called midges(small insects) show the same pattern. Another example to show that geography effects the evolution of species is the example of the Glossopteris....
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...not a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a testable statement whereas a theory is a general explanation of a natural phenomenon with consistent evidence gained through repeated evidence and from doing many experiments. Evolution is a theory because of all the evidence found through fossils, molecular biology, embryology, physiology, biogeography, homologies etc. Evolution has been thoroughly tested.
My personal opinion is that evolution does exist. I believe that species are constantly evolving into new species and that the geography of the world affects the evolution of species. I do believe that science and faith are in harmony with one another.
There is a lot of evidence to support the theory of evolution and that geography has an effect on the evolution of species. Many scientists have proved that evolution does occur and that species do change over a period of time
Evolution is deemed as being scientific because it is testable and correctable, unlike creationism which deals with “God’s will,” an unchanging and set in stone philosophy that contradicts any scientific notion it attempts to deliver. Evolution is the scientific explanation to how organisms developed the forms and functions
In science, a theory will refer to an explanation of an important feature of the world supported by testing and facts that have been gathered over time. It’s there scientific theories that allow scientists to make predictions about untested and unobserved concurrences in the world. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has this explanation of what a theory means to those in the science field, and it is as follows, “A scientific theory is a well substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world, based on a body of facts......Such fact supported theories are not guesses but reliable accounts of the real
Continental drift- led to the change in the physical features of land, its position and a change in ocean currents.
Fossils of similar prehistoric animals were found on widely separated continents. This information was completely dismissed by the scientific community, yet supports the theory that the continents were once connected. Fossils of the Kannemeyeria and Labyrinthodont, land-dwelling animals, were discovered in North America, South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and Eurasia. The Kannemeyeria and Labyrinthodont were creatures incapable of swimming long distances like those that now exist between the continents. Therefore it was nearly impossible for these creatures to travel across the bodies of water to reach the other continents. Migration patterns of the Kannemeyeria and Labyrinthodont align across the continents when fitting them together. When the continents were once one, creatures including Kannemeyeria and Labyrinthodont could travel across the continents without crossing a waterway.
In 1912, Alfred Wegener, a German scientist, was the first to notice this and develop the theory of plate tectonics. He noticed that the earth’s continents fit together almost like a jigsaw puzzle. This, combined with the fact that similar fossils and rock types are found on different continents separated by large bodies of water, helped him formulate his conjecture. He contended that the plates at one point formed one large continent called Pangea, which allowed like fossils and rock types to become closer together, which broke apart. Despite how well the continents fit together and the facts about the geology, the general public would not accept Wagener’s proposal. This is largely due to religious conflicts and the lack of evidence presented to them.
...e single origin perspective but not the multiregional perspective (1988). For example, the first appearance of Homo sapiens raises problems. The newest fossils of Homo sapiens were discovered in Africa while Europe, the Far East and Australia have the oldest fossils (Stringer & Andrew 1988). If there was one linearly evolving species we should see the oldest fossils in Africa. Also, Although Europe and southwest Asia have the most complete fossil record there is an absence of Neanderthal and modern Homo sapiens transitional fossils, which goes against the idea that species evolved together (Stringer & Andrew, 1988). The fossils better describe the single origin perspective.
...t of laurasia, just like most of the other plates. North America,Europe, and Green land all used to be connect because of Pangea ( as mentioned earlier). But when everything started to separate, first europe, then green land, and lastly the North American plate. After pangea was no more and the plates all started moving, the continents started going their own ways, there fore putting the continents where they are today.
Numerous noteworthy changes in the world's geography took place during the Devonian Period. During this period, the world's land was split between two supercontinents, Gondwana and Euramerica (Rice). These vast landmasses sat relatively close to each other in a single hemisphere, while a vast uninterrupted ocean covered the remainder of the globe. These two supercontinents were completely surrounded by numerous subduction zones. The subduction zone between Gondwana and Euramerica set a major collision in motion that would later bring the two continents together to form the massive single continent, Pangaea (Rice).
Charles Darwin also showed how new species were created on the acts of evolution. It is easily explained by having big differences from the effect of natural selection, which were considered to be new species. So back in the beginning, before the effects of evolution had occurred there was just one specie, which evolved to make the species that we know today. So somehow all species are somewhat connected. The basis of what Darwin was proving was that life on Earth is simply the result of billions of years of adaptation to the changing environments. That is why certain species can only live in certain climates. This can be explained with the color of your skin, or the growing of plants.
The information presented in evolution studies must be viewed with an open mind since there is no definite proof or law of evolution. The dilemma boils down to science vs. religion. God has been our creator since beginning of time, but the discoveries of recent science are sudde...
Darwin’s observations from the islands made him want to come up with some explanation to why this occurred. He began to do research of each the species that had lived on these islands and observe all of the characteristics that had. He noticed that the islands h...
Evolution views life to be a process by which organisms diversified from earlier forms, whereas creation illustrates that life was created by a supernatural being. Creation and evolution both agree on the existence of microevolution and the resemblance of apes and humans but vary in terms of interpreting the origins of the life from a historical standpoint. A concept known as Faith Vs Fact comprehensively summarizes the tone of this debate, which leads to the question of how life began. While creation represents a religious understanding of life, evolution acknowledges a scientific interpretation of the origins of life. The theory is illustrated as the process by which organisms change species over time.
Evolution Vs Creation Whether you believe in God or not, we all know that we came from somewhere. The real question is from where? Since we all have different minds and opinions on how we came to be, it will be hard to make someone believe exactly what you think or believe. I believe in creation.
Evolution is the gradual change in an organisms gene pool over time, basically evolution is described in any change in the genetic makeup of an organism. The easiest way to show this is by stating examples of low level evolution as it has been observed. The best know case of this kind happened in England during the industrial evolution. There were two varieties of the English Peppered moth before the revolution, a light and a dark colored moth. The dark moth was almost nonexistent, as it was easy for predators to catch on the light colored trees. As the industrial revolution progressed, the amount of pollution in the air turned the trees a soot color, and as a result the light moths were easy for predators to spot. The light colored peppered moth all but died out, and was on the verge of extinction while the dark colored moth was thriving. In the last several decades the pollution in England has dropped and white moth is making a come back, and the dark moth is heading back towards oblivion. (Harter)
I believe you can believe in God and the theory of evolution at the same time. They seem to be already be compatible but I guess that would depend on what view you would be coming from. Natural selection is the most logical to me.