Question

DeMarco is comparing the bodies of a typical bird and winged insect.


A bird is illustrated with its wings spread apart, as is a dragonfly with its thin, straight wings.


A scientist from before Darwin's time might have argued against the conclusion that the bird and insect shared a common ancestor. Here is a statement this scientist might have made:


"Earth is only a few thousand years old. For this reason, evolution would have needed to act very quickly for both birds and insects to arise from the same ancestor. No one has observed evolutionary processes in action, even at a slow rate."


Construct a counter-argument to the scientist's statement.

Answer 1

Answer:

Perhaps the most persuasive fossil evidence for evolution is the consistency of the sequence of fossils from early to recent. Nowhere on Earth do we find, for example, mammals in Devonian (the age of fishes) strata, or human fossils coexisting with dinosaur remains.

Answer 2

The counterargument for the statements that the scientist has made is as follows:

• According to modern scientific observations and findings, it has been proven that the Earth is not only a few thousand years old but is rather about 4.5 billion years old. This is supported by radiological analysis as well
• This indicates that there was ample time for both birds as well as winged insects to possibly evolve from a common ancestor
• Furthermore, numerous fossil records from various periods of Earth's history have provided us with recorded proof of evolution as a continuous process. The development of exoskeletons in insects and hollow bones in birds, as well as the presence of wings as a common feature indicates the presence of a common ancestor
• These statements disprove the words of the scientist

#SPJ3