|
home | what's new | other sites | contact | about |
|||
|
Word Gems exploring self-realization, sacred personhood, and full humanity
Dr. Stephen C. Meyer
return to "Evolution" main-page
from https://stephencmeyer.org/2001/05/16/the-meanings-of-evolution/
Principal Meanings of Evolution in Biology Textbooks3. Limited common descent: the idea that particular groups of organisms have descended from a common ancestor. Evolution as Limited Common Descent. Virtually all scientists (even many creationists) would agree that Darwin’s dozen or more famed Galapagos Island finch species are probably descended from a single continental South American finch species. Although such “evolution” did not occur during the brief time scale of the lives of scientists since Darwin (as in the case of the peppered moth), the pattern of biogeographical distribution of these birds strongly suggests to most scientists that all of these birds share a common ancestor. Evolution defined as “limited common descent” designates the scientifically uncontroversial idea that many different varieties of similar organisms within different species, genera, or even families are related by common ancestry. Note that it is possible for some scientists to accept evolution when defined in this sense without necessarily accepting evolution defined as universal common descent — that is, the idea that all organisms are related by common ancestry.
|
