Thread by @realscientists

Evolutionism = belief that orgs inherently improve themselves through progressive inherited change over time
Note the "improve" part. 1/?

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Evolutionism has the belief that there is some sort of "improvement" over time to organisms, which later got incorp into social models.

Now, term that scientists use, evolution, means change in heritable characteristics of biological populations over generations.

"Improving" doesn't even enter into it, because c'mon: the only group of organisms giving a value judgement on changes is us, & we're biased

"Improving" has the idea associated with it that there is conscious control over the changes that are made.
Evolution isn't conscious.

If I say "I'm going to improve my hook kicks for karate" w that comes idea that I'm going to work by buns off, stretching & kicking things.

Now let's say an ancestor to a particular group of birds, like seedsnipes, finds its habitat changes.
This ptarmiganish bird is a SHOREBIRD!

(Intermission while I shovel out my driveway. So. Much. Snow.)

Here is info on the seedsnipe: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seedsnipe
#birdnerd #birdsaredinosaurs

If seedsnipe ancestors see that their high-altitude wetlands are drying up, they can't think "oh fiddledeedee - I should change!"

Habitat pressures are going to kill the seedsnipe ancestors that don't have subalpine-alpine features or behaviors.
There's no thought.

Proto-Seedsnipe can't "improve itself" (evolutionism) to be ptarmigan-like.
Over generations, though, the population can change (evolution).

When you hear someone use "evolutionist" there's 2 options:
1. They're using it accidentally instead of evolutionary biologist, or...

...2. you are talking to a creationist or someone with creation-like beliefs. Evolutionism gets used like atheism/communism/fascism/Xism

It becomes a values-based belief system rather than a scientific process supported by loads of data.
Evolutionism DOES NOT equal evolution.

If someone does get up in your facial w "You're an evolutionist!" don't accept their premise that you subscribe to a 19th C belief.

If you want (and YMMV depending on how often you get hit with this), you can use as chance to educate on how evolutionism =/= evolution.

And that ends my short thread on why I'm not an "evolutionist" but am actually an evolutionary biologist!
Now to post...#NameThatTrack!