LSUA News Articles

LSUA CELEBRATES DARWIN DAY WITH A DISCUSSION ON EVOLUTION

Feb 22, 2022, 12:55 PM
On February 12, Charles Darwin’s birthday, LSUA Professor of Biology, Entomology, and Invertebrate Zoology, Dr. Christof Stumpf, hosted the annual Darwin Day panel discussion with experts from around the state.

ALEXANDRIA - On February 12, Charles Darwin’s birthday, LSUA Professor of Biology, Entomology, and Invertebrate Zoology, Dr. Christof Stumpf, hosted the annual Darwin Day panel discussion with experts from around the state. 

 

Dr. Stumpf was joined by Dr. Kelly Robinson of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Dr. Don Shepard of Louisiana Tech University, Dr. Prosanta Chakrabarty of Louisiana State University, Dr. Cathy Newman of the University of Louisiana-Monroe, and Dr. Cynthia Doffitt or Northwestern State University. The purpose of the panel was to allow space for teaching professionals to discuss and respond to questions about teaching and researching evolution in Louisiana. 

 

Ultimately, the panel found that there are no substantive obstacles to teaching evolution in college classrooms. However, evidence suggests as many as 25% of high schools in Louisiana do not teach evolution in any capacity. This the panelists found problematic, suggesting that conducting research in the field of evolutionary science is no different than research in other areas. Since research is primarily funded by grants, researchers need a new crop of interested students each year to engage in their research.

 

Nearly fifty participants from the community joined the panel virtually through Facebook Live. Students present on the stream noted their comments were appreciated by the panelists and their questions were answered. 

 

For example, one student asked why Darwin studied finches. The panelists chimed in to assert, “Darwin brought many specimens back home to study. At the time of collection, he had no idea how important these specimens would become later. He developed his theory of evolution in the years following his voyage with the HMS Beagle 1831-1836. The finches made him think about why there were so many species apparently originating from the mainland. This was true for other animals as well including the giant tortoises. He later regretted that he had not collected more specimens. Some people believe that the importance of the finches was exaggerated by later authors.”

 

On evolution, the question was asked if tetrapods (four-footed animals like amphibians, reptiles, or mammals) evolved from fish, why are there still fish around? The panel explained, “This is a common misunderstanding of how evolution works. New populations split off from other species and may eventually become new species themselves. Both the bony fish and the tetrapods alive today evolved from a long-extinct common ancestor that possessed primitive lungs. In bony fish, the lung evolved into the swim bladder.”

 

Even weighty questions about teaching science and religion were laid out for discussion. Answering the question if evolution and the religious view of creation could be taught in tandem, one panelist remarked, “Because religious answers are not equal alternatives to scientific questions (and vice versa), the two are not usually taught as parallels. However, if faculty members wanted to address questions about how religion and science are different and where they are similar, and not concentrate on answering scientific topics, the two could be taught in a comparative humanities course.”

 

Dr. Stumpf was delighted with the turnout and looks forward to returning the event to LSUA’s campus next year. To watch the video of the Darwin Day panel, visit the LSUA College of Biological Sciences Facebook page or click here.