By Dave Thompson
Fargo, ND – Evolution is not without its controversy. Some people have advocated "scientific creationism" as an alternative to the theory first offered by Charles Darwin. But scientists say the evidence is growing that Charles Darwin's theory is right.
Doctor Craig Stockwell of North Dakota State University is an evolutionary biologist.
"There's more evidence for the theory of evolution by natural selection than there is that the earth is round -- or for planetary motion. And yet both of those basic scientific principles we accept on face value."
Stockwell believes that work being done by a number of scientists worldwide can show that plants, animals and people are continually changing and adapting to their environments.
One of those scientists is Doctor Andrew Hendry of the University of Massachusetts - Amhearst. He's been studying salmon -- and how fish can develop new species. Hendry says Darwin's theories of adaptive change are -- by and large -- being proved out. But he says it seems to happen much more quickly than Darwin originally thought.
"Darwin said, for instance, 'we see nothing of these slow changes in progress until the hand of time has marked the long lapse of ages.' And that was, indeed, the prevailing view for the next century or more. And only in recent years have people began studying populations in nature, such as Darwin's finches, or other situations where we can actually observe evolutinary changes occurring."
Hendry says the changes come from environmental changes -- especially when plants and animals are introduced into new environments.
"Where people have taken fish, for instance, from one place and put them into a different place and asked, 'How quickly are they adapting?' Or these new insect host races that I mentioned -- most of the new plants that they're colonizing are introduced plants. So I think -- I think, yes, that the pace of this probably has accelerated in recent times."
Hendry says this research will prove valuable in terms of how species change because of environmental factors. And he says it will help explore why certain cancers in humans, for example, adapt and become immune to certain treatments, as well as why diseases mutate and resist antibiotics.
Still -- evolution remains a very controversial topic. Hendry says this puts scientists working on Darwin's theory at a loss -- because they say there is a growing body of evidence that Darwin was on the right track. "You know, a lot of the criticisms about evolution relate to a lack of understanding and examples. And as we communicate examples, for one thing, then the criticisms shift to the next, down the step. And I think we're continuing to move up those steps, and funding now that even in the more and more complicated and controversial things, there is indeed considerable evidence for those in nature."
N-D-S-U's Craig Stockwell says some of the misunderstanding comes from a lack of communication.
"Part of the reason is that scientists are really trained well to do science -- and we are really good at working in our laboratories and working in the field, but the vast majority of us aren't really trained in communicating with the public."
Stockwell says he hopes the PBS series on Evolution, as well as on-going dialogues and seminars, will help get the information to the public. And that will clear up any misunderstandings and controversies.
"Once we start doing that, then I think that people will start to realize that that debate may not have as much relevance to their own personal lives. I know many evolutionary biologists that have very strong faiths. And they have no problem in reconciling their faith with their evolutionary training and their understanding of how evolution works."