Evolution to Be Taught in Florida Schools

Charles Darwin developed the theory of evolution. Animals adapt to their habitat over many generations producing different sub-species and often new species given enough time. It is fairly obvious that survival of the fittest is more than just a theory in the animal kingdom. But is it in the history of man?

Man has three subspecies, Mongoloid, Caucasoid and Negroid. There are similarities to the great apes, but there are missing links in the evolutionary progress that became mankind. Since the time of Noah, the three groups of man have been known. Biblically, the three are attributed to the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham and Japheth. Each son moved to a different area of the world and populated the planet with people of differing appearance.

The biblical version is generally considered a simplistic religious explanation of evolutionary facts by scientists. They feel that as animals have evolved, then man has to have evolved in a similar manner. But has he?

There are some general examples of natural selection in man. Pygmies and Watusi tribesmen in Africa for example, seem to validate Darwin's theory. Food availability and environment does influence growth patterns. Pygmies were hunter/gathers in dense jungles while the Watusi are agriculturally based in open savannahs. Being short and quick improved survival in the jungles, being tall and strong improved survival in the savannahs. Florida Key deer are smaller than mainland Florida deer that are smaller than deer in other areas where forage and area for growth are more plentiful. Environment impacts natural selection without any doubt.

Civilized man, for lack of a better term, is living longer, increasing in height and unfortunately weight due to improved environmental conditions, reliable water supplies, consistent food sources and communal support. These improvements are not due to natural selection, but due to human selection. Man has improved his own environment, not waited for natural selection to modify man to fit a changing environment.

That needs to be added to the course on Darwin's theory of evolution. The missing link in man's evolution may just be man. Man's brain separates him from the animal kingdom. It also may exclude mankind from the evolutionary process. By choosing to be as we are and having the intelligence to adjust to our environment or change environmental conditions to suit our life styles, we are above the beasts. Whether that is due to divine influence is a matter of faith. This is something that also separates man from the animal kingdom, faith.

Florida's mandating the teaching of evolution in school is not a bad thing. That teaching should also include how religion, the initial foundation of government and education, has separated man from the typical path of evolution. Our society, founded on religious principals, gives our species advantages no other species has, we control part of our destiny.

Now if we can just pull these large brains out of our butts we may just be able reconcile our faiths, our governments and our societies without destroying our planet.

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