In contrast, evolution may or may not happen in nature. Many species become extinct without leaving any descendants. They never evolved. Therefore it is not inevitable that any given species will evolve. If all species evolve, then evolution would be a law.
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RAT M say: Natural selection is the truest form of evolution .
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oikoσ say: Theories outrank laws. Laws explain what happens; theories explain why it happens. Consider the theory of gravity and the law of gravity.
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say: Yeah I don't understand either. I guess its because evolution can't be observed making it a theory because it can't be proven. A law is like things that explain how the universe is 'governed' like things going down into physics, math, and chemistry. Then again you wonder why its not because if you take any life form and put it outside of its environment with different conditions, it will adapt to its environment and change to survive every time.
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say: A law, to expand on what Sookey said, also has predictability. If it held true before, it will hold true again.
Evolution is a theory because, in part, although we can see where it's been, the wide number of variables prevent us from predicting where it is going. That doesn't diminish the truth of it in any way.
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Ricardo say: Why is evolution a theory and not a law?
- Because the "laws" of evolution are under the umbrella of the "theory" of evolution. Just like the "laws" of gravity are explained by the "theory" of gravity. Read something intelligent.
I don't understand why it's a theory.
- Like I said, read something intelligent, like the scientific definition of "theory".
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alraune_tenbrinken say: A law : one specific field/area.
Evolution does cover more than one specific area.
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say: sookey said it spot on:
"Theories NEVER 'grow up' to be laws. They're two completely different things."