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Understanding Evolution and Scientific Inquiry

The document discusses the concept of evolution, emphasizing that all current life forms have descended from past organisms and have undergone modifications over time. It distinguishes between hypotheses and scientific theories, asserting that the theory of evolution is supported by tested and verified hypotheses. The text also illustrates the scientific process through the example of analyzing dinosaur tracks and refining observations and inferences.

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10 views16 pages

Understanding Evolution and Scientific Inquiry

The document discusses the concept of evolution, emphasizing that all current life forms have descended from past organisms and have undergone modifications over time. It distinguishes between hypotheses and scientific theories, asserting that the theory of evolution is supported by tested and verified hypotheses. The text also illustrates the scientific process through the example of analyzing dinosaur tracks and refining observations and inferences.

Uploaded by

andilemsibi99
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

EVOLUTION

OBSERVATION AND INFERENCE

Let’s do a little exercise…

[Link]
Dinosaur tracks are
common occurrences in the
southern and eastern U.S.
Here is a section of tracks
that were recently
uncovered. Can you answer
the following questions?

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•What is the size and nature
of the organisms?
•Were the tracks made at
the same time?
•How many animals were
involved?
•Can you reconstruct the
events that occurred?

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•In what direction did the
animals move?
•Did they change speed or
direction?
•Was the soil moist or dry?
•In what type of rock were
the prints made?

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The following summer some
more digging revealed more
of the track. What additional
information have you gained
that allows you to refine
your answers?

[Link]
•Were the tracks made at the same
time?
•How many animals were involved?
•Can you reconstruct the events that
occurred?
•In what direction did the animals
move?
•Did they change speed or direction?

[Link]
In the final summer of the
excavation one last part of
the footprint trail was
uncovered. Does this
section provide additional
information to refine your
hypothesis?

[Link]
So what happened?

What part of your


hypothesis is
observation? What part
is inference? What part
is conjecture?

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This is how science is done.

[Link]
WHAT IS EVOLUTION?
• All things we see today arose from things that existed in the past
but they look different because things change over long periods of time
• Applies not only to life forms on Earth, but also to all the planets that make up our galaxy (milky
way) and all the galaxies that make up the universe

• INTRODUCTION
BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION AS “DESCENT WITH MODIFICATION”

Biological evolution refers to the changes that life forms


have undergone over long periods of time – distinct from
the evolution of the Earth itself.
Biological Evolution means that all
present-day forms of life …
 have descended from, and are
related to, those that lived in the past
 may look different because they became
modified from one generation to another
Sometimes the modifications are so great that it is difficult
to see the similarities between the modern form and its
ancestor

• INTRODUCTION
HYPOTHESIS VS THEORY

• Hypothesis: a testable statement that can be used to build inferences and explanations
“My theory is that
AIDS was created
in a laboratory
THE WORD “THEORY” IN for biological
EVERYDAY SPEECH warfare”

• Thoughts, ideas or
opinions which don’t have
to supported by facts

• INTRODUCTION
WHAT IS A SCIENTIFIC THEORY?

• An explanation which can be supported by facts, laws and tested hypotheses.


• Examples:
 Heliocentric theory (the Earth revolves around the sun)
 Atomic theory (structure of matter)
• Most scientists accept that the theory of evolution has the same factual basis as the two theories
above.

• INTRODUCTION
• The Theory of Evolution is regarded as a scientific theory since various hypotheses relating to
evolution have been tested and verified over time.

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