Is Evolution Theory Falsifiable? Paper Example

As a science standard, a scientific theory should be falsifiable. This means that a theory should be logically possible to be proven wrong through an experiment or by observation. Evolution is one of the scientific theories which have been hotly contested as to whether it is falsifiable or not. For example, creationist Ken Ham argues that evolution cannot be tested since there was no scientist who observed whether the events took place or not. However, the truth is that evolution is a falsifiable scientific theory and there is evidence as well as biogeographic evidence that has been found to prove evolution theory wrong and right.

The comparison of DNA sequences between organisms can be used to determine relatedness of the organisms and thus prove the evolution theory which supposed that organisms had a common ancestor. It would appear complex to test whether organisms were related to one another and that they had a common ancestor. However, the modern DNA offers a rigorous test of such a claim and can be used to measure relatedness of organisms through the construction of family trees that depict hierarchical relationships between a set of organisms (Kress, Garcia-Robledo, Uriarte & Erickson, 2015). DNA analyses have been done and are a reliable source for determining the relationship between species. Thus the claim that organisms had a common ancestor has been well tested making evolution theory falsifiable.

Also, the fossil rabbits in the Precambrian era are solid evidence that can be used to test evolution theory. The evolutionists used the fossil records of the rabbits in the Precambrian era as the solid evidence for their theory. The Precambrian era is prior to about five hundred and seventy years. However, the current scientific analyses had shown that mammals only emerged at about forty million years ago, a time when the most primitive organisms subsisted on earth (Senter et., 2015). The evolution theory is disproved by such modern scientific analyses making it vividly falsifiable.

Moreover, scientific theory has been tested by the similarity between species of plants and fungi found in North America and Asia. According to Darwinian evolution theory, ancestors of humans separated a long time ago (about six million years) (Evans, 2015). Since then, the evolutionary process has led to many changes that have eventually turned the ape-like creatures into an upright modern man. Here, Darwin implies that when organisms are separated, they evolve differently into contrasting organisms. However, plants and fungi found in North America and Asia, regions which are separated by huge distance, have been found to be similar (Pansarin, 2016). For example, when Pogonia ophioglossoides (found in North America) and Pogonia japonica (found in Asia), have been found similar when grown under similar conditions. This evidence, itself, is enough to test evolution theory and disprove the fact that separate organisms evolve differently into different organisms.

Conclusion

The huge modern volume of empirical data is quite convincing as to make evolution a rigorous falsifiable scientific theory. The DNA analyses have become a reliable source of genetic information that is used to establish relationships among organisms. Such relationships can be used to construct family trees which test evolution theory of a common ancestor. Similarly, fossil analyses that estimate dates for mammals are allowing scientists to determine the age of organisms and to compare with claims made by evolutionists. Challenging time can be a strong point to test evolution theory. Lastly, the biogeographic evidence that is becoming a more useful evidence for testing whether evolution is falsifiable, especially the separated organisms and how they look similar.

References

Evans, D. (2015). Introducing Evolution: A Graphic Guide. Icon Books.

Kress, W. J., Garcia-Robledo, C., Uriarte, M., & Erickson, D. L. (2015). DNA barcodes for ecology, evolution, and conservation. Trends in ecology & evolution, 30(1), 25-35.

Pansarin, E. (2016). Recent advances on evolution of pollination systems and reproductive biology of Vanilloideae (Orchidaceae). Lankesteriana, 16(2), 255-267.

Senter, P., Ambrocio, Z., Andrade, J. B., Foust, K. K., Gaston, J. E., Lewis, R. P., ... & Stanley, S. G. (2015). Vestigial biological structures: a classroom-applicable test of creationist hypotheses. The American Biology Teacher, 77(2), 99-106.