Evolution is a fact

I accept my opponent's apology in the attack on my character.Third Red Herring"According to this world, Christianity should have died out long ago and not survived to this point."This is a debate for another time.Regarding sourcesI have cited 11 articles, my opponent has cited none. In this round I have cited 12 sources, for a total of 23 sources. The point for sources is mine by default. A discussion of the specifics is not possible in this debate as this is the final round. I would welcome further dialog regarding the specifics of the articles I cited.Critique of Spelling and GrammarPoint for Spelling and Grammar should rightfully be awarded to me.From my opponent:"First off I would like to start by letting you know that if you vote yes to this, you are calling Abraham Lincoln, George Washington of the US, and many of England's finest leaders quacks." - This is a run on sentence."So if my post had nothing to do with the topic; yours before that (Obviously trying to insult my belief.)" - Parenthetical statements are discouraged, also incorrect capitalization."You spoke of dogs, How can you say they are evidence of evolution?" - This is incorrect capitalization."You still never addressed the pleasure of reading. no animals can read, they never will!" - This is incorrect capitalization."The are definitely not a tiger or some other strange creature." - The correct word is "They" rather than "The."Genetics of the Domesticated DogMy opponent does not understand the current body of scientific research, as illustrated by this comment: "This is how many wild dogs became tame ones."There are no "wild dogs" as my opponent contends, simply the Gray Wolf. This is a major point in this debate.The origin of the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) began with the domestication of the Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) several tens of thousands of years ago.[1][2]Nowadays, based on a growing body of anatomical, genetic, and behavioral evidence, most experts believe that the dog originated exclusively from a single species: the gray wolf, Canis lupus.[3]The domestic dog is an extremely close relative of the gray wolf, differing from it by at most 0.2% of mtDNA sequence.... In comparison, the gray wolf differs from its closest wild relative, the coyote, by about 4% of mitochondrial DNA sequence.[4]Modern genetic data, however, has proven that the gray wolf (Canis lupus) is the sole ancestor of modern dogs[5]Mitochondrial DNA control region sequences were analyzed from 162 wolves at 27 localities worldwide and from 140 domestic dogs representing 67 breeds. Sequences from both dogs and wolves showed considerable diversity and supported the hypothesis that wolves were the ancestors of dogs.[6]Any source my opponent cites in the following round to refute this point should be examined to see the age of the source. As I have no opportunity to refute said source, the reader should keep in mind that more recent research tends to be more accurate than older research.Other ArgumentsMy opponent did not cite a source for this statement: "Micro-evolution is true but evolution is not."My opponent's statement is incorrect: "If we are talking about a species within the genetic code, we talk about micro-evolution." Actually, all species are within the genetic code. All species have DNA. For more details, do a Google search for Phylogenetic Tree.Argument of Poor DesignThe laryngeal nerve of the giraffe is proof of natural selection.[11] This point cannot be overstated.All following points are quoted from Wikipedia.[12] All points should be debated on the merits. Not simply that my opponent does not like Wikipedia. If the point is a good point, it stands. A bad point should be refuted. I challenge my opponent to refute any of the following flaws in "design."Various vestigial body parts, like the femur and pelvis in whales (evolution says the ancestor of whales lived on land) or the third molar - or 'wisdom teeth' - in humans (whereas some other primates with differing jaw shapes make use of the third molar). Many species have strong instincts to behave in response to a certain stimulus. Natural selection can leave animals behaving in detrimental ways when they encounter supernormal stimuli - like a moth flying into a flame. Plants are green and not black, even though black plants would absorb more light energy. The loss of tetrachromatic vision by mammals as compared to other tetrapods. The existence of unnecessary wings in flightless birds, e.g. ostriches In the human male, testes develop initially within the abdomen. Later during gestation, they migrate through the abdominal wall into the scrotum. This causes two weak points in the abdominal wall where hernias can later form. Prior to modern surgical techniques, complications from hernias, including intestinal blockage, gangrene, etc., usually resulted in death.Pleasure of ReadingMan is a social creature. Works that are primary social are more of interest to the average person because they relate to his/her species.Note that "of the people who buy at least one book at year, 8 out of 10 buy a fiction book."[7]It is apparent that few would be interested in reading a book on algebra, but many would be interested in a novel regarding a hero and his quest. This ties in to my point about the pack leader.My opponent stated that "no animals can read, they never will!" A more interesting argument would be that no animals can write, which is required for reading. Think of cave paintings though. These are the precursor to writing. Note that animals paint.[8]Language is the precursor to writing. Animals know language.Specifically, Washoe was a female chimpanzee who was the first non-human to learn to communicate using American Sign Language.[9][10]Vote Pro.Sources:[1] http://en.wikipedia.org...[2] http://www.nbcnews.com...[3] http://www.livescience.com...[4] http://www2.fiu.edu...[5] http://www.k9dna.org...[6] http://www.sciencemag.org...[7] http://proactivewriter.com...[8] http://www.mnn.com...[9] http://en.wikipedia.org...[10] http://books.google.com...[11] http://old.richarddawkins.net...[12] http://en.wikipedia.org...