> > The fact is, Evolution IS a fact -- a raw prerequisite of all continuing life on this earth -- as well as its being a theory. The evidence for the process of Evolution is so staggering, I can't even imagine modern science without it... That's why it's a Theory and not a conjecture or mere hypothesis.
> >



> > I think can dig up enough *current* references (as opposed to dimly remembered hand-waving arguments) to support why I think Evolution is a fact. I can provide those later if anyone's still interested.
> >
> > Wolf "a creationist fence-sitter: I'm a theistic evolutionist" spirit
>
> Please do, I don't have time.
>
> Spider-EvolutionisatoolofGod-Boy

I'll join Spider-Boy here and solicit those references from you as well. Evolution isn't something that I've researched very closely -- nowhere near exhaustively -- but my impression was that quite apart from allegedly contradicting the Bible, evolution has a difficult time standing up as a theory on its own. At least, in all of its particulars.

For example, evolutionary theory posits that progress from one species to another requires innumerable miniscule genetic changes, possibly the result of randomly occurring genetic mutations. The law of natural selection permits favorable mutations to survive and adapt while killing off unfavorable ones. Yet even with this culling effect of natural selection, it seems to me that there should exist many fine gradations of life forms, both in the fossil record and in the world that we observe around us. But this is not what we find in either case. Instead, we find distinct species which may indeed be similar in many respects, but would require much more than a handful of genetic alterations to bridge the gap. The problem, then, is: where are the missing links? Not merely the one that allegedly bridges humans and apes, but the many thousands upon thousands of intermediary genetic codes that would be needed to turn a fish, say, into a lizard. The fossil record, to my knowledge, only reflects what we see in the world around us: distinct species that cannot even breed with one another without producing sterile offspring. Maybe evolutionary theory has been revised so that minute genetic changes over vast periods of time are no longer required -- and if so, I'd like to know about that -- but this is one of the greatest problems with the version of evolution that I grew up hearing.

Please enlighten me with any information you feel is interesting or relevant, especially if my assumptions about evolutionary theory are out of date. :-)

Iss "Far Side quote of the day: "Great -- now I'll probably have to spell 'Austrolopithecus'." " achar