Some of the most difficult to treat bacterial infections are contracted while the patient is in the hospital, where the constant use of disinfectants and antibiotics provides strong environmental selection in favor of resistance to these chemicals. It depends on the length of a generation in a given species. As noted above for bacteria, species that mature and reproduce quickly can incorporate favorable modifications in a matter of days to months, if selection for or against certain traits is strong. For most larger animals, which take longer to reach reproductive maturity and have fewer offspring, detectable changes may take thousands of years. By scientific, we mean evidence from various fields of science that is observed without bias, without prior intent to support an idea.
Biological evolution refers to changes in successive generations of a species.
Individuals may be modified relative to others in the population, but those changes must be passed on to the next generation for evolution to occur. Many people of diverse religious backgrounds have engaged in unbiased study of evolution and have accepted that the evidence for evolution is overwhelming. This page is maintained by Leigh Thomas . Last updated January 10, 2001.