Evolution is a Fact

Introduction I would like to begin by thanking my opponent for assuming this debate. In this round, I will state my arguments to defend evolution. ArgumentsI will begin by talking about the common misconception that 'evolution is JUST a theory'. I am now going to prove this incorrect. A theory is not an unclear hypothesis that is made to try to explain things. A theory is a framework made of of facts and evidence that is used to explain something. The theory of evolution has been proven time and time again with evidence. Evolution has occurred and continues to occur. It has been proven in laboratories and has been seen in nature. I will now move on to talk about the facts I just talked about. In order to defend evolution, I must first define it. Strictly speaking, biological evolution is the gradual change in the genetics of a population over time. A simpler definition could also be the alteration of the frequency of alleles in a population from one generation to the next generation. When discussing biological evolution, scientists do not mean evolution of the universe or people, but specifically evolution of populations of living organisms. Evolutionary biology does not attempt to find the origin of life, but rather limits its study to the evolution of populations of living organisms. Scientists are discovering new evidences about the origins of the first life forms on earth. The evidence supporting evolution is overwhelming and comes from a wide range of sciences including genetics, archaeology, anatomy, physiology, etc. Among the molecular evidence showing evolution are examples of redundant pseudogenes which show common descent. Pseudogenes are genes which serve no purpose and are not capable of transcribing into mRNA or being translated into proteins with a function. Redundant pseudogenes are genes which have counterparts which are functional in an organism. Due to the fact that these pseudogenes serve no purpose and have no effect on the organism, mutations which occur in them would not be selected out by natural selection. It would make no difference what sort of mutation occurred in them because the genes themselves have no function. There are many examples of the same pseudogenes being found between two separate species, one being the eta-globin pseudogene, a beta globin gene which is shared among all primate species. As convincing as the genetic and molecular evidence supporting evolution is, more tangible evidence exists in the fossil record. Countless species existing millions of years ago have gone extinct, and the fossil record shows that essentially no modern species existed at that time. The question then put forth is where all of the species living millions of years ago went, and from where did all of the species alive today come. The fossil record shows that the species of organisms living on earth have changed dramatically over the past few billion years. If evolution is indeed true, then there should be a clear transition between ancient organisms and their modern descendants. This fact is observed in countless species where fossils of ancient species show transitions to modern species, suggesting that these fossils are ancestors of today's creatures. While observing the characteristics of fossils shows evidence for evolution, observing the characteristics of modern species also produces evidence for evolution. One of the most striking aspects of evolutionary change are vestigial structures. Vestigial structures are simply structures on organisms which are no longer functional or which serve a reduced function when compared to other species with the same structure. Conclusion In conclusion, I have given arguments to support the claim of evolution. My opponent must now make arguments to attack my claim effectively and correctly. If he or she fails to do so, I will claim victory. If my opponent can give viable evidence as to why the theory of evolution does not work, the results may not be in my favor.I patiently await my opponent's arguments. Citations 1. http://www.talkorigins.org...2. http://www.newscientist.com...3. http://evolution.berkeley.edu...4. http://genomebiology.com...5. http://www.evcforum.net...