Why Evolution Is True - Term Paper Example

The initial chapter of this book reveals how Coyne critically defines each keyword essential in the evolutionary theory. A fascinating finding is the author simply defines evolution as change over time. This approach is diverse from the manner other writers have given different meanings to the term ‘evolution. Looking at several articles, various writers have defined evolution as change in allele frequency over time, sufficiency of neo-Darwinian mechanism i.e. mutation, drift, and selection, and the universal common ancestry.

With the way Coyne has explained the term ‘evolution, readers can understand clearly the term, this is in contrast to the manner other writers who have tackled the evolution have confused readers. This does not mean that the author disputes the fact that allele frequency change over a given time frame, in addition,, he does not disagree on the concept of natural selection in the evolution process. According to my own understanding, Coyne has embraced the concept of common ancestry, thus this out-rules any controversial issue (Coyne, 2009).

In this chapter, the key points revolve around the truth of gradualism and natural selection, as well as mutations to account for the diversity in life. In this chapter, Coyne goes on to defend common ancestry as a foundation of evolution. This chapter deals with fossil evidence as a component of common ancestry. In the initial part of this chapter, the author outlines the process of fossilization. He also provides an introduction to radioisotope dating techniques; useful in approximating the time of life of rocks.

The author goes on to say that fossil data simply shows a trend of simpler living beings preceding more complex ones. This is a perfect evidence of common ancestry (Coyne, 2009). This chapter covers three evolutionary transitions that were documented by the fossil record. They are the evolution of