Important principles of science and evolution
1- Science relies on creating and testing hypotheses, not on apologetics (rationalizing.)
*******Scientifc literature reflects legitimate science.
*******Public opinion often differs substantially from legitimate science.
2- There are many more living species and of greater variety than generally realized.
3- To appreciate the timescale of evolution one must understand exponents.
3- Morphology can be misleading as an indicator of evolution.
*******Morphologically similar species can differ dramatically in DNA sequence.
*******Species with dramatically different morphologies can have similar DNA sequences.
4- The fossil record is incomplete as science in general is incomplete.
*******The farther back in time the less complete the fossil record
*******Genealogy and history are likewise less complete at distant times.
5- Radiometric methods are best for dating fossils
*******They rely on atomic nuclei which are insensitive to chemical manipulation.
*******Different isotopic methods give the same dates.
*******Double blinding prevents manipulation of dates.
*******Half lives could conceivably vary slighlty, but not by orders of magnitude
6- All cells share the same genetic code and the same basic metabolism.
7- Mutation involves probability
*******The human mind is designed to think deterministically, not probabilistically
*******Understanding DNA based phylogeny requires understanding probability
8- Speciation involves splitting rather than replacement.
9- The phylogeny of individual genes follows the phylogeny of organisms.
*******Different genes yield the same phylogeny.
10- The evolution of dogs shows how intensive selection can lead to rapid change.
11- There are many speciation mechanisms most of which are incompletely understood.
12- Chromosome banding is a simple and easily understood indicator of phylogenetic relationships.
13- Evidence continues to increase for, not against, evolution.