Two Oklahoma departments of biology add their voice for evolution

The chorus of support for the teaching of evolution continues, with statements from two biology departments at universities in Oklahoma.

The Department of Biology at the University of Central Oklahoma's statement in part reads (PDF), "Evolution is defined simply as the change in allele frequencies (genetic makeup) in a population through time. ... The theory of evolution explains the mechanisms that lead to these changes. ... The theory is modified as new information is acquired through these tests; however, the overall theory of evolution continues to be upheld. Support for this theory comes from a variety of disciplines (e.g., paleontology, morphology, genetics, molecular biology, ecology, developmental biology, and biogeography). The theory of evolution is the unifying theory in biology and the fact of evolution is not controversial in the scientific community."

The Department of Biological Sciences at Southeastern Oklahoma State University's statement reads (in its entirety), "Evolution is supported by overwhelming scientific evidence and is accepted by the vast majority of scientists. It is fundamental to understanding all areas of biology, including medicine and conservation. Therefore the Department of Biological Sciences at Southeastern Oklahoma State University teaches evolution throughout the biology curriculum. We are in accordance with the American Association for Advancement of Science's statement on evolution. We are a science department, so we do not teach alternative hypotheses or philosophically deduced theories that cannot be tested rigorously."

Both of these statements are now reproduced, by permission, on NCSE's website, and will also be contained in the fourth edition of NCSE's Voices for Evolution.