How Have Anti-Evolution Tactics Evolved Over Time? They’ve Gotten Sneakier.
You have to admit that this is pretty cheeky: In the latest issue of Science magazine, Australian National University researcher Nicholas Matzke traces the evolution of anti-evolution efforts using the same methods he usually uses to track the shared origins of different species. But Matzke’s work is more than just ironic. With his analysis, he hopes to help the pro-science crowd understand where these arguments come from — and hopefully, by extension, how to fight them off.
Phylogenetic analysis is a huge part of understanding evolution. These analyses are how we get the family trees that show us how different species descended from a common ancestor. Scientists use the DNA and physical traits of different living (and extinct!) things to figure out where they intersect, spinning the web that connects everything on the planet back to our single-celled ancestors.
More: How have anti-evolution tactics evolved over time? They’ve gotten sneakier.
