A classic argument for evolution says that different creatures have similar embryos, and therefore share an evolutionary ancestor. 19th-century biologist Ernst Haeckel famously forged drawings making embryos appear more alike than they are, and believed embryos re-enact evolution. While most scientists no longer believe this, textbooks still say embryo similarities show evolution in other ways. Let’s continue examining these claims with the 7 Checks of Critical Thinking.
Up Next in S7: "Evidence for Evolution"
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Vestigial Structures
Vestigial organs are structures in living things which supposedly had a function in their evolutionary ancestor, but now have ‘no function’—or at least, different or reduced functions. Whether the appendix, the tailbone or wisdom teeth, ‘vestigial’ structures are often considered evidence for evo...
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Thinking About “Bad Designs”
A textbook argument against creation is that nature includes “bad designs” which point to evolution rather than a Creator. For example, food and air both pass through the pharynx, which can lead to choking, and a small blind spot exists in the human eye. Let’s apply some critical thinking checks ...
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Biogeography
Biogeography, the study of living things’ geographic distributions, supposedly supports evolution. But is that true? Let’s apply some Critical Thinking Checks to the popular claim that marsupials (like kangaroos) live only on southern continents because their ancestors evolved there.
