Evolution is a well-established scientific theory, but it still has its limitations and controversies. This article examines the history, main concepts, and criticisms of evolution in order to test its validity.
Limitations and Scientific Controversies of Evolutionary Theory
Most people, with the exception of zealous religious believers in Christian fundamentalism, consider the theory of evolution to be close to the truth. The reason for excluding these religious believers is to divide them into two different areas: religion and science. In other words, not only Christian fundamentalism, but also theistic and creationist theories are accepted as convincing theories in the religious world, but they cannot be accepted as laws or factual theories in science. This dichotomy has long been a subject of debate and has also led to various social and philosophical problems that arise when religious beliefs and scientific inquiry collide.
To become a scientific theory, a causal relationship must be a universally true law, that is, a law that clearly represents a universal fact. Simply claiming that the gods created all things on the basis of myths is difficult to accept as a scientific basis. On the other hand, the theory of evolution is a theory that was developed based on scientific observations that living things have undergone changes over a very long period of time. However, when the theory of evolution was first proposed, many people and religious believers did not accept it as a scientific theory and instead strongly criticized it. This was because the new worldview proposed by evolution clashed greatly with the religious beliefs of the time.
Although the theory of evolution has gained more and more support from scientific evidence over time, it cannot be said to be a complete theory that is completely free of error. In this article, I will look specifically at what the theory of evolution is and what its limitations and flaws are. In doing so, I will consider the contribution of evolutionary theory to modern science and the unresolved questions.
Historical Background and Major Theories of Evolution
The history of evolutionary theory predates Darwin. It was Lamarck, not Darwin, who first systematically explained evolution. Lamarck proposed that one species could change into another, and that humans also originated from other species. Lamarck argued that species evolved into higher animals through a gradual process of development. These arguments were very innovative for the time and directly challenged the traditional view that living things were created in a fixed form.
Lamarck proposed two theories. The first theory is the “use it or lose it” theory, which states that animals change their habits when their environment changes, and as a result, organs that are frequently used develop according to the new habits, while organs that are not used degenerate. This theory provided the basic concept of evolution, that living things undergo morphological changes to adapt to the environment, but it was not empirically supported by later scientists. The second theory is “inheritance of acquired traits,” which states that evolution occurs when acquired traits are passed on to descendants through heredity. Lamarck’s theories were an early attempt at biological evolution, but they had limitations that were not scientifically proven.
Darwin’s Theory of Natural Selection and Its Impact
Fifty years later, Darwin expanded on Lamarck’s theory and proposed the theory of natural selection. The theory of natural selection has four basic principles. The first is “overproduction and individual variation,” which states that organisms produce a large number of offspring relative to the environment in which they live or the amount of food available, and that there are variations in the form, habits, and function of the offspring. This variation is the starting point of evolution. The second is “survival of the fittest,” in which individuals compete for limited resources, and only those individuals that are advantageous for survival survive.
The third is “survival of the fittest and natural selection,” in which individuals with favorable traits survive in the competition for survival, and those with unfavorable traits are eliminated. Therefore, advantageous traits are selectively passed on to future generations. The fourth and final theory is “genetic drift and speciation,” which states that the traits of individuals that survive the competition for survival are passed on to their offspring through natural selection, and that this process causes species to change and differentiate over generations.
Darwin’s theory of natural selection was later developed by many biologists. Weissman, for example, added to Darwin’s theory by proposing the theory of germplasm continuity. He argued that only mutations that occur in germ cells are inherited, emphasizing that evolution is a genetic change rather than a simple change in traits. These studies played an important role in developing evolution into a more sophisticated scientific theory.
Criticisms and counterarguments against the theory of evolution
The theory of evolution has long been scientifically accepted, but it has faced many criticisms along the way. The biggest criticism is that the process of evolution takes too long to prove experimentally. Also, although the results of evolution, such as speciation, have been observed, there are limitations to observing the process itself in real time. For these reasons, some critics argue that evolution is more of a hypothesis than a scientific theory.
Creationists based on religious beliefs point out that the theory of evolution is insufficient to explain the complexity of life. They argue that natural selection and mutation alone cannot produce the complex structures of living organisms, and they also propose the concept of intelligent design. However, despite such criticisms, evolution remains the most powerful scientific theory to explain the transformation of living organisms.
Conclusion: The Present and Future of Evolution
The theory of evolution has proven its validity through much biological evidence. Although there are still unresolved errors and controversies, the theory of evolution occupies an important place in the history of science. With the development of molecular biology, which has made it possible to analyze genes, we have been able to understand the process of evolution more precisely. In particular, genetic evidence has become an important foundation for evolutionary theory and plays an important role in explaining the relationships between different species.
Ultimately, the theory of evolution is still a theory in development, rather than a complete theory accepted by the biological community. However, the story of the evolution of various species of organisms presented by the theory of evolution plays an important role in broadening our worldview and exploring the origin of life. The theory of evolution will continue to be modified, supplemented, and developed in the future, and it will establish itself as an important theory that will mark a milestone in the history of science.
