An Introduction To Evolution

v1.2.2 / TOC (28 chapters) / 01 aug 08 / greg goebel / public domain

* In 1859, the British naturalist Charles Darwin published ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES, which proposed that the different species of life-forms on the Earth all descended through a tree of branching paths from common ancestors, with the process controlled by "natural selection" -- the weeding-out of modified life-forms that prove "unfit" to survive, with those that are "fit" continuing to propagate. This document provides a detailed tutorial on evolutionary theory, describing the origins, details, and development of Darwin's concepts, and discusses the controversy surrounding them.

This document is extensive, and those who see it as more than they want may find the companion brief survey document, AN EVOLUTION PRIMER, more appropriate to their needs.

[1.0] The Roots Of Modern Evolutionary Thought

• [1.1] DIM BEGINNINGS
  
• [1.2] MONSTERS OF THE PAST
  
• [1.3] AGES OF THE EARTH
  
• [1.4] THE ORIGIN OF CHARLES DARWIN
  
• [1.5] VOYAGE OF THE BEAGLE
  
• [1.6] FORMING A THEORY
  

[2.0] Darwin's Theory

• [2.1] DARWIN & WALLACE
  
• [2.2] THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES
  
• [2.3] THE UPROAR OVER DARWIN
  
• [2.4] FOOTNOTE: THE OMPHALOS GAMBIT
  

[3.0] Darwin's Disciples

• [3.1] THE STRUGGLE FOR DARWINISM
  
• [3.2] GREGOR MENDEL
  

[4.0] Darwinism Rediscovered

• [4.1] DARWINISM IN CONFUSION
  
• [4.2] SOCIAL DARWINISM & EUGENICS
  
• [4.3] RADIOACTIVE DATING / THE REDISCOVERY OF MENDEL
  
• [4.4] THOMAS HUNT MORGAN
  
• [4.5] CHROMOSOMAL INHERITANCE
  
• [4.6] DISCOVERING PREHISTORIC HUMANS (1)
  

[5.0] Eugenics & Social Darwinism

• [5.1] THE RISE OF EUGENICS
  
• [5.2] THE FALL OF EUGENICS & SOCIAL DARWINISM
  
• [5.3] FOOTNOTE: DARWIN, HITLER, & MARX
  

[6.0] The Modern Synthesis

• [6.1] HALDANE & THE PEPPERED MOTH
  
• [6.2] FISHER'S STATISTICS / WRIGHT'S FITNESS LANDSCAPE
  
• [6.3] DISCOVERING DNA
  
• [6.4] THE MODERN SYNTHESIS
  
• [6.5] DNA DECODED
  
• [6.6] FOOTNOTE: THE RISE & FALL OF LYSENKOISM
  

[7.0] Contemporary Evolutionary Thought (1)

• [7.1] DISCOVERING PREHISTORIC HUMANS (2)
  
• [7.2] KIMURA'S NEUTRAL THEORY
  
• [7.3] THE EVOLUTION OF ALTRUISM
  
• [7.4] DAWKINS' SELFISH GENE
  
• [7.5] DAWKINS' MEMES / DAWKINS' SURVIVAL MACHINES
  

[8.0] Contemporary Evolutionary Thought (2)

• [8.1] SOCIOBIOLOGY & EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY
  
• [8.2] GOULD & PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM
  
• [8.3] THE GENOMICS REVOLUTION
  

[9.0] A Short History Of Life (1)

• [9.1] TAXONOMY
  
• [9.2] CLADISTICS
  
• [9.3] FOSSILS
  
• [9.4] THE GENERAL HISTORY OF THE EARTH
  

[10.0] A Short History Of Life (2)

• [10.1] THE ERA OF SINGLE-CELLED LIFEFORMS
  
• [10.2] DIVERSIFICATION OF EUKARYOTES
  
• [10.3] THE ORIGINS OF SEX
  

[11.0] A Short History Of Life (3)

• [11.1] THE PRECAMBRIAN: INTRODUCTION OF MULTICELLULAR ORGANISMS
  
• [11.2] THE PALEOZOIC: CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION?
  
• [11.3] THE ORDOVICIAN: THE TEEMING SEAS
  
• [11.4] THE SILURIAN & DEVONIAN: FISH OUT OF WATER
  
• [11.5] THE CARBONIFEROUS & PERMIAN: OCCUPATION OF THE LAND
  

[12.0] A Short History Of Life (4)

• [12.1] THE MESOZOIC: AGE OF REPTILES
  
• [12.2] THE TERTIARY: AGE OF MAMMALS
  
• [12.3] THE HOMINIANS
  

[13.0] Darwinism Examined: Darwinism & Its Competitors

• [13.1] DARWINISM REVIEWED
  
• [13.2] COMPETITORS TO DARWINISM: LAMARCKISM
  
• [13.3] COMPETITORS TO DARWINISM: SALTATIONISM
  
• [13.4] SURVEYING THE EVIDENCE
  

[14.0] Darwinism Examined: Macroevolution (1)

• [14.1] THE MACROEVOLUTION CHALLENGE
  
• [14.2] THE LOTTERY WINNER FALLACY / MAGIC BARRIERS
  
• [14.3] SCIENCE & INFERENCE
  
• [14.4] DAWKINS' WEASEL PROGRAM / THE GISH FALLACY
  

[15.0] Darwinism Examined: Macroevolution (2)

• [15.1] THE MACROEVOLUTION OF THE EYE
  
• [15.2] PROOF & DISPROOF
  
• [15.3] PLAUSIBILITY & THE REAL UNIVERSE
  

[16.0] Darwinism Examined: The Classic Evidence

• [16.1] PROGRESSION OF FORMS
  
• [16.2] FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS & GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION
  
• [16.3] DARWINIAN IMPROVISATION / THE DIMWIT DESIGNER
  
• [16.4] CONVERGENT & DIVERGENT EVOLUTION
  

[17.0] Darwinism Examined: Evolutionary Strategies

• [17.1] EVOLUTIONARY ARMS RACES
  
• [17.2] COOPERATION & SYMBIOSIS
  
• [17.3] SEXUAL SELECTION & THE HANDICAP PRINCIPLE
  
• [17.4] EXPLAIN EVERYTHING, EXPLAIN NOTHING?
  

[18.0] Darwinism Examined: The Genetic Evidence (1)

• [18.1] THE DNA EVIDENCE
  
• [18.2] MUTATIONS
  
• [18.3] THE ICEFISH GENOME
  
• [18.4] SELECTIVE ADVANTAGE & GENE PROPAGATION
  
• [18.5] IMMORTAL GENES
  

[19.0] Darwinism Examined: The Genetic Evidence (2)

• [19.1] THE EVOLUTION OF COLOR VISION
  
• [19.2] FOSSIL GENES
  
• [19.3] CONVERGENT EVOLUTION AT THE GENETIC LEVEL
  
• [19.4] HUMAN EVOLUTION & THE GENETIC EVIDENCE
  
• [19.5] DEVELOPMENTAL GENES
  
• [19.6] FOOTNOTE: JUNK DNA
  

[20.0] Darwinism Examined: A Summing Up

• [20.1] DARWINISM AS AN UNSPECIFIED PROCESS / THE PALEY FALLACY
  
• [20.2] AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW
  
• [20.3] THE WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE
  
• [20.4] PIGS WITH WINGS?
  
• [20.5] FOOTNOTE: DOUGAL DIXON'S AFTER MAN
  

[21.0] The Origins Of Life

• [21.1] ABIOGENESIS & LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE
  
• [21.2] THE HOYLE FALLACY
  
• [21.3] THE PRIMORDIAL SOUP / RNA WORLD / FIRST REPLICATORS
  
• [21.4] LIFE UNDERGROUND / PANSPERMIA
  
• [21.5] CONSIDERING THE MYSTERY
  

[22.0] Creation Science

• [22.1] THE SCOPES TRIAL
  
• [22.2] THE ORIGINS OF CREATION SCIENCE
  
• [22.3] CREATION SCIENCE IN PRACTICE
  
• [22.4] CREATION SCIENCE VERSUS SCIENCE
  
• [22.5] CREATION SCIENCE & THE COURTS
  

[23.0] Intelligent Design (1): Michael Denton / Philip Johnson

• [23.1] MICHAEL DENTON & A THEORY IN CRISIS
  
• [23.2] PHILIP JOHNSON & DARWIN ON TRIAL
  
• [23.3] DISCOVERY INSTITUTE & THE CSC
  

[24.0] Intelligent Design (2): Michael Behe

• [24.1] IRREDUCIBLE COMPLEXITY & BEHE'S MOUSETRAP
  
• [24.2] IRREDUCIBLE COMPLEXITY AND EVOLVABILITY?
  
• [24.3] FOOTNOTE: INTELLIGENT DESIGN & INFORMATION THEORY
  

[25.0] Intelligent Design (3): William Dembski

• [25.1] DEMBSKI, SPECIFIED COMPLEXITY, & THE EXPLANATORY FILTER
  
• [25.2] DEMBSKI, SETI, & THE DESIGN INFERENCE
  
• [25.3] DEMBSKI ON THE FIRING LINE
  
• [25.4] THE DISCOVERY INSTITUTE & ITS CRITICS
  
• [25.5] FOOTNOTE: MORTON'S DEMON
  

[26.0] Science & The Supernatural

• [26.1] THE PROBLEM WITH MIRACLES (1): A WHIMSICAL UNIVERSE
  
• [26.2] THE PROBLEM WITH MIRACLES (2): POOF!
  
• [26.3] THE PROBLEM WITH MIRACLES (3): ANYTHING GOES
  
• [26.4] THE PROBLEM WITH MIRACLES (4): THE NEGATIVE ARGUMENT
  
• [26.5] THE PROBLEM WITH MIRACLES (5): SHOW US THE MONEY
  
• [26.6] SCIENTIFIC MATERIALISM
  

[27.0] Evolution Wars In The 21st Century

• [27.1] TEACH THE CONTROVERSY
  
• [27.2] THE DOVER TRIAL
  
• [27.3] AN ONGOING CONFLICT
  

[28.0] God Versus Darwin?

• [28.1] A WAR IN PROGRESS
  
• [28.2] A CALL FOR PEACE
  
• [28.3] SCIENCE & RELIGION
  
• [28.4] COMMENTS, SOURCES, & REVISION HISTORY