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Line 3: − + − This includes biological change, and non-biological change, such as galaxy formation. Evolutionist Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975) said, "Evolution comprises all the stages of the development of the universe: the cosmic, biological, and human or cultural developments. Attempts to restrict the concept of evolution to biology are gratuitous."<ref>Quoted by Stephen E. Jones at [http://members.iinet.net.au/~sejones/evolut01.html http://members.iinet.net.au/~sejones/evolut01.html]</ref>+ + − '''The origin and development of life'''+ − However, evolutionists today generally reject this definition, as it includes the origin of life ([[abiogenesis]]). [[Natural selection]] can only operate once life has started.+ − + − '''The development of life from a common ancestor.''' − − This is the idea that there is some last universal common ancestor, from which all plants, animals, fungi, and other life on Earth are directly descended. Line 23:
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→Definitions: Restructure
== Definitions ==
== Definitions ==
'''Change in the history of the universe'''
The word ''evolution'' comes from Latin, meaning ''unrolling''<ref>[http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/evolution?view=uk AskOxford.com.</ref>, and refers to any gradual change. But it has more precise definitions in popular and scientific use.
=== Universal ===
The broadest definition, '''change in the history of the universe''', includes biological change, and non-biological change, such as galaxy formation. Evolutionist Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975) said, "Evolution comprises all the stages of the development of the universe: the cosmic, biological, and human or cultural developments. Attempts to restrict the concept of evolution to biology are gratuitous."<ref>Quoted by Stephen E. Jones at [http://members.iinet.net.au/~sejones/evolut01.html http://members.iinet.net.au/~sejones/evolut01.html]</ref>
=== Development of life ===
Kerkut defined evolution as "the theory that all the living forms in the world have arisen from a single source which itself came from an inorganic form"<ref>''Implications of Evolution'', p. 157, by Kerkut, G.A., quoted in [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1627 Origin of life and the homochirality problem: is magnetochiral dichroism the solution?] by Jonathan Sarfati.</ref>
Kerkut defined evolution as "the theory that all the living forms in the world have arisen from a single source which itself came from an inorganic form"<ref>''Implications of Evolution'', p. 157, by Kerkut, G.A., quoted in [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/1627 Origin of life and the homochirality problem: is magnetochiral dichroism the solution?] by Jonathan Sarfati.</ref>
As stated, this includes the origin of life ([[abiogenesis]]), but evolutionists today generally reject that evolution includes [[abiogenesis]], as [[Natural selection]] can only operate once life has started.
Instead, it is defined as the development of life from some last universal common ancestor, from which all plants, animals, fungi, and other life on Earth are directly descended.
Webster's dictionary put it as, "...the development of a species, organism, or organ from its original or primitive state to its present or specialized state; phylogeny or ontogeny"<ref Name="TO">Quoted in [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolution-definition.html What is Evolution], by Laurence Moran.</ref>
Webster's dictionary put it as, "...the development of a species, organism, or organ from its original or primitive state to its present or specialized state; phylogeny or ontogeny"<ref Name="TO">Quoted in [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolution-definition.html What is Evolution], by Laurence Moran.</ref>
Although it has been criticised on a number of grounds<ref>Laurence Moran on Talk.Origins criticises the definition for excluding prokaryotes, protozoa, and fungi, and for specifying ''gradual'' changes, and other reasons.</ref>, this is the main concept behind the definition provided by the Oxford Concise Science Dictionary: "The gradual process by which the present diversity of plant and animal life arose from the earliest and most primitive organisms, which is believed to have been continuing for the past 3000 million years".<ref name="TO" />
Although it has been criticised on a number of grounds<ref>Laurence Moran on Talk.Origins criticises the definition for excluding prokaryotes, protozoa, and fungi, and for specifying ''gradual'' changes, and other reasons.</ref>, this is the main concept behind the definition provided by the Oxford Concise Science Dictionary: "The gradual process by which the present diversity of plant and animal life arose from the earliest and most primitive organisms, which is believed to have been continuing for the past 3000 million years".<ref name="TO" />
'''Change in gene frequency'''
=== Gene frequency ===
In modern scientific use, it is often defined as a '''change in gene frequency'''
E.O. Wilson defines evolution as "any change in gene frequency in a population." Helena Curtis and N. Sue Barnes define evolution as "any change in the frequency of alleles within a gene pool from one generation to the next"<ref Name="TO" />
E.O. Wilson defines evolution as "any change in gene frequency in a population." Helena Curtis and N. Sue Barnes define evolution as "any change in the frequency of alleles within a gene pool from one generation to the next"<ref Name="TO" />