Tag Archives: natural selection

Evolutionary mechanisms part 7: Gene flow

So far in this series, we have talked about natural selection, sexual selection, genetic drift, and mutations, but that still leaves us with one final and very important evolutionary mechanism: gene flow. This simply refers to the movement of genetic … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Debunking the creationist myth that mutations don’t produce new and useful information

Genetic variation is a fundamental requirement for evolution, but many evolutionary mechanisms (such as selection and genetic drift) actually remove variation from populations. Therefore, evolution is entirely reliant on the formation of new genetic information, and without it, evolution would … Continue reading

Posted in Science of Evolution | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments

Evolutionary mechanisms part 6: Genetic drift

Many people are under the false impression that evolution is always beneficial, but it can actually be quite harmful. This is especially true for evolution via genetic drift. Like natural selection, genetic drift removes variation from a population, but unlike … Continue reading

Posted in Science of Evolution | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Dying the way that nature intended: Appeal to nature fallacies

The idea that nature has our best interest in mind is prevalent throughout the anti-science movement. For example, it is common to hear people say, “I’m not going to vaccinate, because I want my children to build immunity naturally, the … Continue reading

Posted in Rules of Logic, Vaccines/Alternative Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Evolutionary mechanisms part 5: Sexual selection

As Charles Darwin sailed on his epic voyage, he noticed something which initially troubled him. In many species, the males had traits which seemed disadvantageous. In birds, for example, the females tended to be dull and camouflaged, whereas the males … Continue reading

Posted in Science of Evolution | Tagged , | 8 Comments