Evolution is a proven scientific fact from "summary" of The Greatest Show on Earth by Richard Dawkins
The fact of evolution is as well established as any in science. It is a fact in the same sense as the Earth being round rather than flat, or the Sun being many millions of miles away. These are not facts that are discovered by one-off observations, but by a convergence of evidence from multiple lines of inquiry. Evolution is just such a fact, supported by evidence from many different disciplines, including genetics, paleontology, biogeography, comparative anatomy, and embryology. The evidence for evolution is overwhelming and comes from a wide range of sources. The fossil record, for example, provides a record of the history of life on Earth, showing how species have changed over time. The similarity of different species at the genetic level is also strong evidence for evolution, as is the fact that the distribution of species around the world can be explained by their evolutionary history. Natural selection, proposed by Charles Darwin as the mechanism driving evolution, has been supported by decades of research and observation. We can see natural selection in action in the way that bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, or how different beak shapes in finches on the Galapagos Islands are adapted to different types of food. The fact of evolution is not in doubt among scientists, who overwhelmingly accept it as the best explanation for the diversity of life on Earth. It is only in the public sphere that there is still controversy, largely driven by religious or ideological objections. But the evidence for evolution is clear and compelling, and the theory has stood up to over 150 years of scrutiny and testing. The fact of evolution is not something that can be dismissed or ignored, but is a fundamental principle of biology and a cornerstone of our understanding of the natural world.
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