Evolution

Thanks to Nathan.apologetics for accepting. I am going to use arguments from an old debate of mine. The burden of proof is on me as I am arguing for a positive contention.Point 1: Fossil EvidenceThe logic of my argument will be presented in this form:Premise 1: If and only if evolution is true, then we should see transitional fossils.Premise 2: We see transitional fossils.Conclusion: Evolution is (likely) true.Justification for Premise 1: Evolution states that organisms can change over time. Those organisms can be, sometimes, fossilized. If species X has the ancestor species A and is the ancestor of species B, then X shares some traits of both species and a fossilized X can be considered a transitional fossil.Justification for Premise 2: Transitional fossils between reptiles and birds, reptiles and mammals, and primates to humans have been found. [1] In fact, there are no known gaps between dinosaurs and birds. [1] This falls in line with the predictions of evolution. Also, if we assume evolution to be true, then every fossil is a transitional fossil, between two or more species. However, the transitional fossils do line up, even if we do not assume evolution to be true. We have found a mostly complete set of those transitional fossils, from reptiles to birds, from reptiles to mammals, and from primates to man.The conclusion follows from premises 1 and 2.Point 2: Observed Speciation (marcoevolution)Definition of a species: "Related organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring."The logic goes like this:P1: If and only if evolution is true, then we should see new species forming.P2: We see new species forming.C: Evolution is (likely) true.Justification for P1: Evolution predicts that new species can form. Justification for P2: Two examples of new species will be listed.1. GoatsbeardsGoatsbeards are wild flowers introduced from Europe to America. Three species were initially introduced. They interbred, but could not produce fertile offspring. (The hybrids were sterile), meaning that they were 3 different species. In the 1940's, two new species of goatsbeards appeared, which produced fertile offspring only when breeding within their species, and not with the species it evolved from.[2]2.Drosophila paulistorum Drosophila paulistorum, a type of fruit fly, had a speciation event sometime between 1958 and 1963. Crosses with other strains only produced sterile hybrid flies, meaning that the fruit fly are a new species.[2]The Conclusion follows from the premises.Point 3: Observed MicroevolutionNote: Macroevolution was proven in point 2. This is about microevolution, which some Creationists do accept.Justification for Premise 2:An experiment, done by professor Lenski over 20 years, found that a population of E.coli evolved the ability to metabolize citrate, despite the fact that E.coli were normally unable to do so.[3] A later study done in 2012 isolated the exact mutation that caused this, proving that no contamination has occured. [4] This is, by definition, microevolution, as no new species has been created.Conclusion:My conclusion goes like this:P1: If microevolution and macroevolution both happen, then evolution is possible.P2. If evolution is possible, and we see transitional fossils documenting change in the fossil record leading up to the creatures today, then evolution is true and is responsible for life on Earth today.P3. P1 is true(point 2, point 3), therefore evolution is possible.P4. P2 is true as we have a complete set of transitional fossils documenting transitions from primates to humans, from reptiles to birds, and etcetera.Conclusion: Evolution is true, following from P3 and P4.Irrelevant side noteThis is an irrelevant side note to show that evolution can be reconcilable with Christian scripture, which my opponent appears to believe in. However, this is just a side note and is not part of a debate. The land animals came after the sea animals in the book of Genesis, showing that theistic evolution may be plausible. (https://www.biblegateway.com...)SOURCES[1]http://www.talkorigins.org...[2]http://www.talkorigins.org...[3]http://rationalwiki.org...