The theory of evolution… This is probably one of the most debated topics of the past 100 years. Did we really come from apes or are we the product of intelligent design?… This week we will delve into the topic of evolution. Now, as a disclaimer, the purpose of this discussion is not to try and force you to believe in evolution. Your beliefs are your own, and whatever they may be, I respect them (as should your fellow classmates). Instead, the purpose of this discussion is to get you to look at evolution from a biology perspective.

For your main post, I would like you to compare and contrast the public’s perspective (and your own) of evolution with the biologist’s definition of evolution (as discussed in your weekly reading assignment). To start (before going over this week’s readings), I would like you to ask yourself “what is evolution?” In other words, what comes to mind when you think of evolution (I am not asking whether or not you believe in evolution, I just want to know how YOU define evolution)? Next, I’d like you to ask 2-3 other people this same question (once again, I’m not looking for beliefs, just definitions). After you’ve completed this “survey”, I’d like you to read over this weeks assigned reading sections and compare and contrast the results of your survey with how the readings describe evolution. In other words, what is evolution and what leads to it? Finally, I’d like you to provide an example of a biological evolutionary process that has occurred in the past 50 years (please note, technology is NOT biological evolution – biological evolution only applies to living organisms). Please make sure to include proper references and in-text citations in APA format.

***Note: This discussion is meant to be a scientific discussion, not a religious discussion. I completely respect if you don’t believe in evolution and/or I know that many of your evolutionary beliefs are based off of a religious background. The goal of this discussion is to look at evolution from a scientific perspective, so please refrain from discussing God, religion or any aspects that do not directly relate to the discussion topic.***