Unit 13
Origins of Life
Reading
OpenStax orange book: Read Ch. 11 - "Evolution and its processes"
BJU: Read Ch. 8 - "The history of life"
OpenStax green book: Read Ch. 18 - "Evolution..."
OpenStax orange book: Read Ch. 11 - "Evolution and its processes"
BJU: Read Ch. 8 - "The history of life"
OpenStax green book: Read Ch. 18 - "Evolution..."
Introduction
Origins is the term we use to mean, how we got here. The subject of origins tends to be an emotional topic because it shapes how we view ourselves, how we view abstract concepts like morality and justice, and how philosophers view the ultimate purpose and meaning of life. We will outline the modern views, below.
Origins is the term we use to mean, how we got here. The subject of origins tends to be an emotional topic because it shapes how we view ourselves, how we view abstract concepts like morality and justice, and how philosophers view the ultimate purpose and meaning of life. We will outline the modern views, below.
Historical perspective: "The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the famous Sistine Chapel, depicts God giving to Adam the spark of life - and is applicable to the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim traditions. Michelangelo spent a long time studying human hands before doing the painting - obviously very concerned about accurately representing God's hand! The human hand is a beautiful, intricate, and versatile machine, controlled by muscles that aren't even in the hand itself, and articulated by long slender tendons which pass through a flexible wrist. Through our hands we can express a wide range of emotions, convey comfort to others, speak entire languages, play the violin and piano, and build intricate iPhones and Swiss watches; and the hand is strong enough to support a mountain climber's entire weight. It has been said that the importance of the human hand is so critical that it has converted "the being who is the weakest in natural defenses, to the ruler over animate and inanimate nature".
Lecture Outline
Note: Both textbook publishers used in this class present the topics of biological evolution, the work of Lamarck and Darwin w/r/t natural selection, the work of Hutton and Lyell w/r/t the geologic column and dating methods, fossils, and mutation-selection theory. The BJU textbook interprets these through a 'special creation' lens, while the OpenStax book does so through a 'materialist' lens. Regardless of your worldview, it's important to know the major views and arguments so you can participate in respectful, constructive discussion with others.
If you are planning to take the SAT Subject Test in Biology, you will need to know the following terms. Out of 80 questions on the test, only around 3 or 4 will deal with evolution.
There are many modern views on the topic of "origins". I will seek to give a fair and balanced overview...
First, we need to differentiate "Origins of Life" and "Origins of Species".
Note: Both textbook publishers used in this class present the topics of biological evolution, the work of Lamarck and Darwin w/r/t natural selection, the work of Hutton and Lyell w/r/t the geologic column and dating methods, fossils, and mutation-selection theory. The BJU textbook interprets these through a 'special creation' lens, while the OpenStax book does so through a 'materialist' lens. Regardless of your worldview, it's important to know the major views and arguments so you can participate in respectful, constructive discussion with others.
If you are planning to take the SAT Subject Test in Biology, you will need to know the following terms. Out of 80 questions on the test, only around 3 or 4 will deal with evolution.
- DNA random mutations
- Natural selection
- The definition of a species, and what is meant by 'speciation'
- Fitness of an organism
- Divergent vs. convergent evolution
- Homologous vs. analogous structures
- Vestigial structures
There are many modern views on the topic of "origins". I will seek to give a fair and balanced overview...
First, we need to differentiate "Origins of Life" and "Origins of Species".
- Origins of Life: Any theory on the Origins of Life has to explain how the first molecules were formed, how the first cell was constructed from these molecules, and how the molecular machinery of the cell came about in the first place. Keep in mind, you need 'molecules' to exist before you can build a 'cell'. In other words, the origin of complex, information-rich molecules must be explained equally as importantly as the origin of cells and complex body systems.
- Origins of Species: Darwin's book was called "On the Origin of Species" (with the subtitle... "and the preservation of favored races..."). Thus, he was looking at how one species might change into another species over time. He wasn't concerned with the "Origins of Life" per se, although his fundamental idea was that all life came from a common ancestor.
Second, we need to distinguish "Micro-evolution" from what is called "Macro-evolution":
- Micro-evolution states that minor changes occur within existing species all the time. These changes come about through random changes in DNA which are acted upon by environmental (outside) pressure. They also come about through the intentional efforts of breeders, farmers, and agriculture firms. No one debates this issue. This is not where the argument is. In fact, we see micro-evolution in the different races of men throughout the World, in the different breeds of dogs and cats, the different types of apples in the store, and in the different beaks of ground finches.
- Macro-evolution is a different thing. Macro-evolution states that entirely new species and new Body-Plans with vastly different design features are caused by random mutations in DNA which are acted upon by environmental pressure in a process which Darwin termed "natural selection" (to distinguish it from "artificial selection" or "selective-breeding"). This is known as the "Modern Synthesis" or "Neo-Darwinism". In Darwin's time, the cell was thought of only as a blob of protoplasm, and Darwin didn't know about genes or DNA, or the complex mechanisms of the cell. He thought every creature had "pangenes" and "gemmules" which passed acquired characteristics on to its offspring. However, by 1900 it was known that "acquired characteristics" weren't inherited. You could chop off the tails of many generations of lab mice (this was done in 1880 on over 900 mice by a very famous evolutionist named August Weismann), but the mice-offspring always had normal tails. Thus, Lamarck was proven wrong, and there wasn't a valid mechanism for Macro-evolution to occur. Later, in the 1950's, with the elucidation of DNA's structure and coding mechanism, it was thought that random mutations in the DNA of germ cells (sperm and egg) could be the source of new genetic information which fueled speciation (made new species, genera, families, etc). But by the 1980's it was known that DNA is not the sole source of Body Plans and complex 3D morphology, nor the complicated machines found in the cell; and random mutations in DNA do not supply innovative, complex designs necessary for new body plans. In addition, the carbohydrates involved in cell-to-cell communication contain vastly more information than proteins, and are not subject to the mutation-selection paradigm. In other words, DNA is not the "blueprint of life"; it is merely the recipe for proteins. Because of these discoveries, the secular scientific community is currently searching for a "New Synthesis" or "New Conceptual Framework" to replace - or modify - NeoDarwinism. Other names given to this effort are "The Extended Synthesis" or "The Third Wave". There are many groups devoted to this quest (The "Altenberg 16" was only the first of many), and they are openly hostile to organized religion, and they have nothing to do with "Creationism". Replacing NeoDarwinism isn't a Creationist quest for them, in other words.
Major views on 'Origins'
Please be respectful of others as we go over these in class.
Please be respectful of others as we go over these in class.
- Neo-Darwinism - more accurately called The Modern Synthesis - states that new species originate(d) from random mutations occurring in germ cells - acted upon by environmental pressures - so that the "fittest survive". The environmental pressures could take the form of a prolonged drought on a Pacific island chain, or a change in the quantity or type of food supplies, or an evolutionary change that occurs in a predator species, or smokey air caused by the burning of coal which turns tree-trunks dark, or two populations of the same species being separated by a mountain range or body of water or shifting continents, to list a few examples. Over long periods of time, new species are formed from this process, and older - less fit - species cease to exist. That is why Darwin entitled his first book, "On the Origin of Species.... and the Preservation of Favored Races". In Darwin's second book, "The Descent of Man", written 10 years later, he worked out the implications of his theory as it relates to humans; namely, that the races of men we currently see in the World are themselves "incipient species" - that is to say that the different races are moving along the evolutionary timeline with everything else - with some races more advanced than others - and at a future time "not very distant as measured in centuries..... the civilized races of man would exterminate and replace the savage races throughout the world".
- Panspermia is the belief that we were "seeded" - either accidently or purposely - by a superior alien civilization. Francis Crick - the Nobel winning scientist who elucidated the structure of DNA in 1953, invented the concept because he believed that this was the only way DNA - with its information-rich structure - could have occurred! Carl Sagan - a very famous Emmy Award winning, MIT scientist who promoted the SETI Institute, also believed in Directed Panspermia - that life was deliberately seeded on planet Earth by an alien civilization. Francis Crick wrote an entire book devoted to Panspermia, and Dr. Sagan spent most of his professional career promoting the search for our extraterrestrial origins. The well-known SETI program, partly funded by NASA and the National Science Foundation, is dedicated to the idea of Panspermia. There are innumerable scientists devoted to the idea that life **did not** solely evolve on earth; that it was seeded from outer space, and that earth is either a "colony", or an extremely fortuitous beneficiary of complex life from the outside.
- Creationism is the belief that God created the World according to the account given in Genesis in the Bible. God speaks creation into existence in a short period of time, creating the World "ex-nihilo" (out of nothing). 'Young-earth' Creationists believe the earth is relatively young - generally less than about 10,000 years; they believe that the Deluge described in Genesis (the Great Flood) was responsible for the major geological features we observe on Earth today. On the other hand, 'Old-earth' Creationists generally hold to a longer time scale - known as 'geologic time'; they hold that the six-day Creation and Flood accounts in Genesis were written to convey truths about the nature of God and man, without necessarily being 'scientific/literal' accounts such as you would read in a different kind of book.
- Theistic Evolution is the idea that God directed the process of Macro-evolution over a long period of time - usually thought to be about 4 billion years in the case of planet Earth. It is an attempt to reconcile or 'fuse' the concepts of Evolution and Theism. It is a belief held by numerous scientists and Biologists the world over. Francis Collins - the director of the National Institutes of Health and the past Director of the Human Genome Project - is a prominent Theistic Evolutionist. He believes that Evolution created life, and God set it in motion. He wrote a very influential book in 2007 dedicated to this idea. The prominent "think tank" devoted to this view is called BioLogos, if you want to look it up.
- Intelligent Design is the belief that we can see evidence all around us for an 'intelligent designer'. Whether we are looking at an individual cell, at plant and animal life, or out in the solar system, we see "teleological purpose" everywhere we look. Intelligent Design avoids taking sides on the account in Genesis. There are numerous scientists and researchers within the Intelligent Design movement - Jonathan Wells, Michael Behe, Stephen Meyer, and William Dembski to name just a few. It includes researchers and PhD's from the most prestigious universities in the world. The prominent "think tank" devoted to this view is called The Discovery Institute, if you want to look it up.
- Islam: Traditionally, Islam believes God is the "Creator and source of all goodness". God is immutable (doesn't change), omnipresent (everywhere), indivisible (not Trinitarian), and eternal (has always existed). Thus, God is the source of life and everything else. Modernly, you will find all sorts of variations among Muslims on the question of "Origins", just as you will among Christians or any other group.
- Hinduism and Buddhism: In Eastern thought, life moves in cycles - not so much in a straight progression; therefore, not much emphasis is placed on exactly "how biological life began", i.e. biomolecules, cells, and tissues; although modernly you will find all views.
- Pagan and Classical creation stories center around a pantheon of Gods or a Chief Spirit who create everything using various colorful methods, without going into technical detail. In Greece and Rome, matter makes the gods, and the gods make man; it is "materialistic" in other words. By contrast, in the Bible and Islam traditions, god makes matter including man; i.e. spirit preexists matter. Modern Pagans will vigorously defend very dogmatic beliefs about "Origins" and the beginnings of life.
For purposes of this class - and for passing standard tests in Biology - you will need to know the basic arguments for biological evolution, which are presented very well by both textbook publishers.
Homework:
Since this class is offered to all students regardless of source-of-funding, please follow these instructions...
Since this class is offered to all students regardless of source-of-funding, please follow these instructions...
- If you are using public funds to pay for this class, and you need a work-product from this topic to show your resource teacher, please complete the assignments below indicated by "Public school".
- If you are using private funds and desire Biblical-worldview homework, complete the assignments below marked "Biblical-worldview".
Public school homework 1: Theory of Evolution
will be posted here
will be posted here
Public school homework 2: Classification
will be posted here
will be posted here
Biblical-worldview homework 1: Theory of Evolution
| ch._8_origins_of_life.pdf |
Instructions:
Read section 8.4 (Darwin's Theory of Evolution) in the BJU textbook (this is posted above in case you are using the other textbook). Respond to "Review Questions 8.4" at the end of section 8.4. There are 3 thought-questions. Length: I am looking for 1-page of well thought-out answers, 1.2 spacing, 11-font size. You can also use the Internet to research these questions to get ideas. Submit your work as an email attachment.
Read section 8.4 (Darwin's Theory of Evolution) in the BJU textbook (this is posted above in case you are using the other textbook). Respond to "Review Questions 8.4" at the end of section 8.4. There are 3 thought-questions. Length: I am looking for 1-page of well thought-out answers, 1.2 spacing, 11-font size. You can also use the Internet to research these questions to get ideas. Submit your work as an email attachment.
Biblical-worldview homework 2: Icons of Evolution
The Icons of Evolution keep showing up in textbooks as "proof" of Macro Evolution. The ten (10) icons are - The Miller-Urey experiment, Darwin's Tree of Life, Homology in Vertebrate Limbs, Archaeopteryx, Peppered Moths, Darwin's Finches, Four-Winged Fruit Flies, Fossil Horses, and From Ape to Human.
Instructions:
Watch the video. Chose any one (1) of the Icons and prepare a 1-1/2 page executive brief using 1.2 spacing and 11-pt font. Your brief should 1) describe what the Icon is, 2) how it supposedly offers "proof" of Biological Evolution, and 3) why it has been discredited according to the video. Take your time, go into detail, and use suitable pictures/diagrams to illustrate (diagrams count towards the 1-1/2 page requirement). Submit your completed work as an email attachment by the due date.
Instructions:
Watch the video. Chose any one (1) of the Icons and prepare a 1-1/2 page executive brief using 1.2 spacing and 11-pt font. Your brief should 1) describe what the Icon is, 2) how it supposedly offers "proof" of Biological Evolution, and 3) why it has been discredited according to the video. Take your time, go into detail, and use suitable pictures/diagrams to illustrate (diagrams count towards the 1-1/2 page requirement). Submit your completed work as an email attachment by the due date.
Everybody: Infectious Disease presentation - Part 1: submit your idea
Submit an idea for an 8-10 minute PowerPoint presentation to be presented at a later class. All I want at this point is your "idea".
Presentation topic: "Research an infectious disease of your choice, and any drugs under development to treat it". The actual presentations will take place during Unit 15.
Ask your relatives or search the Internet for ideas!
Submit an idea for an 8-10 minute PowerPoint presentation to be presented at a later class. All I want at this point is your "idea".
Presentation topic: "Research an infectious disease of your choice, and any drugs under development to treat it". The actual presentations will take place during Unit 15.
Ask your relatives or search the Internet for ideas!