In this blog post, we revisit the age-old question of the origin of life from the perspectives of creationism and evolutionism.
The questions of where all living things, including humans, came from and how they evolved have been pondered by people for a long time. Many opinions and hypotheses have been put forward, but it is still unclear which theory is correct. However, there are two most famous claims among the various opinions. One is creationism. Religious groups such as Christianity and Islam believe that everything in this world is the creation of God. According to creationism, humans are special beings created by God to protect and guide all living things in this world. The second argument is evolutionism. Unlike creationism, evolutionism asserts that all living things evolve over time and that humans are creatures that have evolved from apes. This explanation will examine the history and establishment of the theory of evolution, its core concepts, and its implications.
The following is a description of the process by which Darwin developed the theory of evolution. The theory of evolution can be divided into three main parts. The first is variation in organisms, the second is natural selection, and the third is sexual selection. At first, Darwin collected a large amount of data by closely observing various types of livestock and plants. The data included the physical structures, lifestyles, and habits of the organisms Darwin studied, as well as the differences between various organisms. Darwin collected this data to prove that species can change and have changed over long periods of time. Darwin also observed and compared the physical structures and behaviors of animals of the same species but different breeds. Darwin’s most widely known research in this regard is his observation of pigeons. Pigeons are a species of bird, but there are many breeds, and each breed has its own unique physical structure and behavior patterns. For example, Darwin discovered that the shape and size of the beak, the color and pattern of the feathers, and whether or not the feet are feathered differ among breeds, and he named these differences between organisms “variations.” These different breeds of pigeons are so different from each other that it is difficult to say that they are the same species, but Darwin showed the relationship between the breeds in a tree-shaped family tree and proved that all pigeons are organisms that have evolved from the same species (Columba livia). This concept of variation is the first step in the theory of evolution and is closely related to natural selection.
Darwin’s most famous theory is natural selection. Natural selection is the theory that nature selects the species or breeds that are best adapted to their living environment. According to this theory, evolution occurs because differences between species result in differences in survival rates. Species with characteristics that are best suited to their environment are most likely to reproduce, and their offspring inherit these characteristics from their parents and continue to survive. Through this process, various breeds began to emerge. Darwin observed that when organisms reproduce, they produce far more offspring than necessary to maintain their species. He also discovered that all organisms live in environments where the conditions necessary for their survival are limited. In other words, the conditions necessary for survival, such as food, water, mates, and space, are not infinitely available. Based on this theory, Darwin observed barnacles and studied pigeons and discovered that even organisms of the same species have differences from each other. Using this evidence, Darwin argued that when different species live in environments with limited conditions for survival, competition is inevitable. Through competition for survival, only those species with physical structures and behaviors that are advantageous for survival continue to live. Therefore, these advantageous characteristics are passed on to offspring, increasing the number of organisms with these characteristics, and eventually forming a society. This is what Darwin called natural selection.
However, Darwin also observed that some species have characteristics that seem unnecessary for survival. Examples include the peacock’s tail and colorful feathers. These characteristics do not help survival and are easily noticeable, making them easy prey for other animals. This phenomenon could not be explained by natural selection alone, so Darwin proposed the theory of sexual selection. All living things basically use two methods to reproduce. The first is combat or fighting. For example, male elephants fight each other to find a place to reproduce. The elephant that wins the fight gets a place to reproduce and can mate with female elephants. The second method is display. A representative example is the peacock. Male peacocks have colorful patterns on their tails. The peacock’s tail is a physical structure that can hinder its escape from predators, so why do they have this feature? According to sexual selection, female peacocks are attracted to the colorful tails of male peacocks. This is because brightly colored tail feathers are generally a sign that the male peacock is healthy. The theory that males have such characteristics for reproduction despite the risk of losing their lives is called sexual selection.
So far, this is the theory of evolution for all living things, but Darwin expressed his thoughts on the question of where humans came from in a separate book titled “The Descent of Man” in 1871. When Darwin wrote “On the Origin of Species,” it was a period of social unrest. People who study Darwin’s work today believe that he clearly had ideas about human evolution at that time. However, publishing such claims at that time would have caused great confusion, so he omitted the content about human evolution from his book. Later, when public order in England stabilized, Darwin published his views on human evolution in a book. In that book, Darwin argued that all humans are the same species regardless of race, and he also presented the idea that humans evolved from a single monkey-like creature. Darwin argued that the fact that humans and monkeys have some similar physical structures and that their fetuses are formed in a similar way is proof that humans evolved from monkeys. However, when Darwin first made this claim, there was tremendous opposition. Christian believers were particularly opposed to it. This was because Darwin’s claim indirectly implied that humans were creatures that had evolved from other creatures and were not created by God. In other words, his theory was tantamount to saying that the God who created the world did not exist. Because of this, people drew cartoons with Darwin’s head on a monkey’s body in opposition to his claims, and even hung a monkey from the ceiling when Darwin received his graduation certificate. As you can see, Darwin’s theory was a laughing stock at the time, but even then there were people who supported the theory of evolution, and the debate over whether evolution is correct continues to this day.
As we have seen, the conflict between religion and science based on the theory of evolution has existed for decades, and there is still no definitive answer to the question of where all living things, including humans, came from. However, with the recent advances in science and technology and the progress of research on fossils, scholars expect to find the answer soon.
