Theory of Evolution

6 Pages 1482 Words

Theory of Evolution
Today’s human being is the product of millions of years of trial and error through the process of evolution. Charles Darwin was the first to bring fourth the idea of evolution. His theory involved the instance of natural selection. However he could not explain exactly how natural selection worked, he just knew that it existed. The scientific world was much more receptive than the religious world to this idea. Many scientists questioned the precision of his theory but they did believe something similar was involved. The devout Christians believed man was merely placed here by God, that there was no ladder to climb for man to be what he is today. In addition to the numerous amounts of fossils found to back up the theory of evolution, science draws similarities between man and his closest relatives the primates, which consist of monkeys, chimpanzees, orangutans and gorillas. Primatology is the study of these primates and their relationship to the human race. Evolution is the most logical explanation for mans place on earth. Though all religions have their own theory of creation this one proves to be most reasonable.
Through careful examination of fossil remains found in the ground, a striking similarity can be drawn between humans and primates. Studying the skull itself produces enough characteristics to directly link the two. By looking at the size of the cranium and the shape of the brain cavity, a person educated in this field would be able to tell the age of the subject, the size of the brain, and what species the fossil belonged to. The separation point between man and ape lies not in the teeth or the postural adaptations but the size of the brain, with the largest gorilla brain being 650cc and the smallest aborigine being 855cc, a mean brain volume of 750cc is where the line shall be drawn between man and ape (Keith 205-6). There is a continuing argument on whether the closest living primat...