Glossary

There are many complicated processes and scientific terms that can be hard to understand. Since most of my readers have not done a great amount of research, I composed a list of some of the more difficult or complex theories and processes involved in evolution that anyone can understand.

Allopatric Speciation: This is a kind of Evolution that has not been observed, merely speculated from observing species variation. It is "the creation of new species through geographical separation" (1). For example, if two populations of the same species of lizards were separated by a newly developed river, the two different populations would then stop breeding with each other, and they would both evolve into two different species.

Anagenesis: the theoretical process where an animal gradually becomes so different from its original form that eventually a new species is formed. (Anagenesis and Cladogeneis "remain one of the most widely debated issues in evolutionary theory" (1)).

Big Bang: a theory pertaining to the birth of the universe. According to this theory, all matter existed in a single singularity before space and time, then, in a fraction of a second, this "eternal matter" exploded into our universe, thereby creating space, time, and energy. This theory contradicts about every law of nature known to man, and has been rejected by many leading scientists. For example, thirty three leading scientists published an "Open Letter to the Scientific Community" rejecting this theory due to frequent anomalies and "fudge factors such as the hypothetical inflation model."

Cladogeneis: an original species begins to diverge into several other different species, despite beginning with the same genetic background. (This topic is very controversial, as there is no evidence to support this, nor any speculative causes for this kind of divergence.)

Convergence: The idea that Evolution can work backwards; instead of making organisms more complex and specialized, it works on two different organisms to make them more similar. This theoretical process is contrary to the basic principal of not only Evolution, but every naturalist theory as well. Evolutionists could not explain why animals with different "Evolutionary histories" could have the same adaptations, so this idea was formed.

Darwinism: this term was originally coined in the late 1700's. First used to describe the ideas of Charles Darwin's grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, later, it "came to be associated with Charles Darwin's theory that evolution is driven largely by natural selection" (1). This theory states that all living creatures are modified descendants of one single common ancestor. Changes are the result of natural selection acting on random genetic mutations over millions of years.

Decent with Modification: a kind of evolution that is actually happening. This theory states that offspring will have characteristics of its parents. For example, a child of a Caucasian and an Asian will have characteristics of both parents. This form of evolution never results in any new features or species.

Embryonic Recapitulation: In Evolutionary theory, human embryos undergo embryonic recapitulation, which is where the embryo reenacts our "evolutionary history," and goes through the different phases of Evolution our 'ancestors' went through. This theory has been proven wrong, but is used in politics to support abortion.

Fossil: the remains of an animal that has been quickly killed and buried. Over a few years, the hard parts of the animal are been replaced with minerals, forming a fossil.

Horizontal problem: One of many problems with the Big Bang theory. The Big Band is said by evolutionists to have occurred around 13.7 billion years ago. So even if all the matter in the universe moved at the speed of light (which there is no evidence to say it could), the width of the universe would be around 27.4 billion light-years, as an upper limit. New research has shown the universe is actually over 156 billion light-years wide. Therefore either Old-Earth supporters' time scale is wrong or matter can move much faster than ever thought possible.

Inflation Model: Proposed by physicist Alan Guth over twenty years ago, this model is an attempt to explain how the universe could be so big. This model includes the idea that matter moved "much faster than the speed of light in [the universe's] early years." Scientists have called this theory "hypothetical," as it has various incongruencies. For example, this idea "needs a cosmic density 20 times larger than that required for the big bang to make the light elements" (www.rmcf.org. Online. "What the Big Bang Can't Explain." 31 May 2004). It has therefore been rejected by much of the scientific community.

Lamarckism: A part of Darwin's original theory that included the belief that "environmental changes could cause structural changes to occur in plants and animals… and that these acquired characteristics could be transmitted to offspring" (1). For example, Darwin postulated that a short-necked giraffe, over many years of stretching to reach leaves, could actually form a longer neck, and pass this trait onto its offspring. This belief has been "shown false and been replaced by the belief that genetic mutations are the major driving force behind evolution." (Malone, Bruce. "Mutations are Almost Always Harmful Mistakes." RMCF science article. Sep/Oct 2005.)

Macro-Evolution: Gradual change from one kind of animal to another due to "helpful genetic mutations." This has never been proven through either observation or theory.

Micro-Evolution (a.k.a. Change over Time) --Gradual changes within a kind of animal over several generations. For example, human height has increased due to increased nutrition and health care. This never results in new features or new species.

Natural Selection: Natural selection is a natural process that has been distorted by the media and other biased influences. Natural Selection is the process by which organisms with "weaker DNA," and therefore a weaker being, are killed; stronger organisms simultaneously are able to produce more offspring, so these genes get passed on. Basically, it "acts as a weeding out system, not a development system" (1). However, "natural selection was given a capability it never did possess-the ability to generate or create something" (1). Evolutionists, beginning with Darwin, assume that this process "would drive a 'building' process in organisms," when in fact, all it can do is "select among the features that are already present" in an organism's DNA. This process "fits very nicely within a creation model," and was not first proposed by Charles Darwin, but William Blyth. A creationist.

Neutral Theory of Molecular Evolution: states that mutations are not always harmful, and a cell can build up many of these mutations, then "jump" to a completely new species. This stemmed out of the lack of evidence for Punctuated Equilibrium, and is "about as plausible as the idea of neutral car parts" (1).

Neo- Darwinism: "the modern version of Darwinist theory, updated to take account of discoveries in genetics" (1). Essentially, when Darwin's initially theory was proven wrong, scientists changed it, and so it is now called Neo-Darwinism.

Oort Cloud: A hypothetical belt of comets that supposedly supplies the solar system with new comets. This idea came from an incongruence in Evolutionary theory: if the solar system older than 10,000 years, there should be no remaining comets. This cloud has never been seen, and traces of it have never been detected with scientific equipment. In fact, this belt was proposed based on errors. "Oort proposed a cloud of comets surrounding the solar system based on mathematical errors" (The Non-existence of the Oort Commentary Shell, Astrophysics and Space Science, Vol. 31. 1974. 385-401).

Paradigm: Evolutionary geologic ages of millions of years.

Parallel Evolution: A theoretical form of convergence that includes two animals with "similar evolutionary history" evolving the same adaptation.

Punctuated Equilibrium: Defined by Dr. Kevin Anderson as, "the idea that evolutionary changes happened very quickly in small, isolated populations, leaving no fossil record." This is the theory that says Evolution happens in steps. For example, "The first bird hatched from a reptilian egg" (9). This theory resulted from the lack of transitional creatures in the Fossil Record, and attempts to account for the sudden, fully formed fossils found that are actually found in the Fossil Record, which support a creationist view of the world.

Reproductive Isolation: This represents "a set of mechanisms that prevents a group of living things from breeding with the members of any other group" (4). These "mechanisms" usually refer geological blockages.

Scientific Method, The: The criteria that all scientific theories must fit. In order to be scientific, a theory must 1) Be observable. 2) Be explainable through a hypothesis. 3) Be testable in a controlled environment. 4) Be able to give repeatable results.

Speciation: The basic concept of animals branching out and evolving from a single creature: "the multiplication of species through the gradual evolution of new characteristics" (1).

Sympatric Speciation: "different populations occupy the same area, but develop differently and gradually cease to interbreed" (1). This idea is merely controversial speculation; it has never been observed, and there is no evidence to suggest that animals would ever behave in this manner. This is a controversial idea, where "a set of mechanisms that prevents a group of living things from breeding with the members of any other group" (4). There is nothing to suggest that any animal would refuse to mate with the opposite sex of its kind, so this theory is not widely respected in the scientific community.

Vertical Evolution (see Anagenesis)

Water Canopy: a crystalline canopy that was formed "as H2O became separated by energy and compression, light passed through the free Hydrogen and bonds into Crystalline. Short wave electromagnetic energy waves are caught and collected in the opaqueness of the canopy and suspended in an electromagnetic field around the earth. The crystalline canopy was super-conductive and would be held in place by earth's gravitational field" (4).

Winding-Up Dilemma, The: Evolutionists believe the universe is more than 10 billion years old, but galaxies wind themselves up too fast for this to be true. "The observed rotation speeds are so fast that if our galaxy were more than a few hundred million years old, it would be a featureless disc of stars instead of its present spiral shape." For the past fifty years, no one has been able to explain this with an Old-Earth view of the universe.