Issues: Science and Christianity

Scientific Explanations: How Did Humans Get Here?

Evolution

Scientists now widely accept the theory of evolution to explain how humanity came to exist. The theory of evolution is mainly associated with the British naturalist, Charles Darwin, in the 19th century. He travelled extensively observing plants and animals in several different locations. He came to notice small changes within species in different locations and completely different species in different environments.

His studies led him to the conclusion that the species that we see haven't always existed in the same form. He concluded that species had changed gradually over a very long period of time. He noted that as the environment changed (for example, the climate got warmer or colder) the members of the species that were the best suited for the new environment survived and reproduced with others who were better adapted to the new environment whilst those individuals who were not so well adapted died out. The result would be that the next generation of the species would have slightly different characteristics. This is called NATURAL SELECTION.

Darwin also believed that humans have existed in the past in a different form. Darwin noted that humans shared many characteristics with apes. He believed that we too have evolved. There would have been a time when humans didn't exist.