Notes on Evolution and Religion – Dr G Abdelal

Common Ancestry

• Darwin’s Tree of Life: Life forms share a common ancestry, represented as a branching tree rather than a hierarchical “Great Chain of Being.”
• Fossil Evidence: Fossils showcase extinct species and gradual change over millions of years, contrasting with previous “young Earth” views.

Figure 1: Darwin’s Tree of Life, incorporating evolutionary connections and religious symbols.

Science and Religion on Fossil Evidence

• Religious Perspective:
  • Old Testament, Bible, and Quran reference beings before humans (e.g., giants, jinn, Al-Hinn, Al-Binn).
  • Fossil evidence of extinct species could correspond to these pre-human beings.
  • Gap Theory in Christianity allows for millions of years before Adam’s creation.
• Scientific Perspective:
  • Fossils reveal ancient life forms (e.g., dinosaurs, early mammals) extinct long before humans.
  • Evolution explains species’ gradual change and extinction via natural processes.

Figure 2: A visual dialogue between a scientist and a religious scholar, symbolising their perspectives on Earth’s history.

• Complementary Narratives:
  • Religious teachings might describe phases of creation, aligning with fossil records.
  • Fossils could represent beings from earlier stages of life on Earth mentioned in the scriptures.
• Bridging Perspectives:
  • Evolution explains the “how” of life’s changes; religion explores the “why.”
  • Both science and faith can offer complementary insights into Earth’s long history.

Conclusion

• Unified Understanding:
  • Fossil evidence doesn’t necessarily conflict with religious beliefs.
  • Science and religion may narrate the same story from different perspectives.
  • Together, they provide a fuller picture of the history and purpose of life on Earth.

The Challenge to Fixity of Species

• Dynamic vs. Static: Darwin challenged the idea that species are immutable, showing they adapt and evolve over time through natural selection.
• Speciation: Explained the gradual accumulation of changes leading to new species through lineage splitting.

Figure 3: A visual comparison of the Watchmaker analogy with natural selection, symbolising the contrast between a designer and natural processes.

Adaptation vs. Speciation

• Religious Perspective:
  • Speciation feels speculative; observed changes may just be natural variations within species.
  • Adaptation to environments doesn’t necessarily equate to forming new species.
  • Interbreeding between populations suggests they remain the same species despite adaptations.
• Scientific Perspective:
  • Adaptation is the first step, but divergence in genetics and behaviour can lead to reproductive isolation and speciation.
  • Speciation is a gradual process, observable in its early stages but difficult to confirm within short timescales.
  • Fossil records and patterns suggest speciation over millions of years, though direct observation is limited.

Natural Theology and Divine Design

• Displacement of Design: Darwin’s theory shifted the explanation of complexity from divine creation to natural processes like natural selection.
• Religious Reactions:
  • Resistance from some communities due to conflicts with literal interpretations of creation.
  • Reconciliation by theologians who view natural selection as part of God’s design.

Figure 4: A symbolic representation of the dialogue between science and faith, connecting natural selection with divine creation through mutual understanding

Lamarckism vs. Darwinism

• Lamarckism Rejected: Darwin’s natural selection replaced Lamarck’s idea of acquired traits being passed to offspring.
• Random Variation: Darwin emphasised random genetic changes shaped by natural selection.

Impact of Darwin’s Theory

• Scientific Paradigm Shift: Transformed biology into a dynamic science focused on change and adaptation.
• Influence on Other Fields: Concepts like “survival of the fittest” impacted anthropology, psychology, and economics.
• Foundation for Modern Biology: Laid the groundwork for genetics, explaining inheritance and evolution at the molecular level.

Religious Perspective on Natural Selection

• Challenges to Natural Selection:
  • Natural selection requires an initial system and rules—implying a designer.
  • Complexity and order in nature point to divine creation rather than randomness.
• The Watchmaker Analogy: Life’s complexity resembles a watch needing a watchmaker, suggesting God as the designer.

Faith vs. Science:

• Faith answers questions science cannot fully address, such as the origin of natural laws.
• Scientists should focus on demonstrable evidence and avoid speculative conclusions about existential matters.

What is DNA?

• Definition: DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) carries genetic instructions for all living organisms.
• Structure: Composed of four bases—Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Cytosine (C), and Guanine (G)—paired as A-T and C-G in a double-helix structure.
• Function: DNA sequences encode proteins, the building blocks of life, determining physical traits and biological functions.
• Genes: Specific DNA sections that code for particular proteins.

Figure 5: A visualisation of DNA, its structure, and its environmental impacts, along with natural selection symbols like finches with different beak shapes

DNA Changes Due to Environmental Impact

• Dynamic Nature: DNA can mutate due to environmental factors like UV radiation, leading to population changes over time.
• Mutation Effects:
  • Some mutations provide advantages, e.g., darker skin in high UV areas.
  • Advantageous mutations may be passed down through generations via natural selection.
  • Example: Genetic adaptation to drinking milk in adulthood due to dairy domestication.
• Role in Evolution:
  • Environmental pressures influence genetic changes but not all mutations lead to evolution.
  • Only changes aiding survival and reproduction contribute to natural selection.

Speciation vs. Environmental Adaptation

• Environmental Adaptation:
  • Changes within a species to better survive in its environment.
  • Example: Birds developing longer beaks to access food sources.
• Speciation:
  • Occurs when populations of a species become genetically distinct and reproductively isolated.
  • Reproductive isolation (e.g., geographic barriers) prevents interbreeding, leading to new species.
  • Example: Darwin’s finches developed different beak shapes, eventually forming new species due to genetic divergence.
• Key Difference:
  • Adaptation is survival-driven change within a species.
  • Speciation is a long-term process of divergence, creating entirely new species.

Conclusion

• DNA as the Core: DNA changes underlie adaptation and speciation.
• Adaptation vs. Speciation:
  • Adaptation improves survival in a changing environment.
  • Speciation requires prolonged separation and genetic divergence.
• Process Connection: Adaptation is often the first step that may lead to speciation over time and with reproductive isolation.

Figure 6: depicts adaptation versus speciation, showing birds adapting to environments and becoming separate species through reproductive isolation.