"They resist evolution because they think everyone will lose morals," Mr. Mooney said.
Researchers have speculated in the past that genes linked to homosexuality in men may have survived evolution because they happened to make women who carried them more fertile.
You find certain repertories of behaviors that obviously have been placed in our biology during the history of evolution because they match certain challenges in the environment.
In addition, soft sweeps could explain the apparent speed of human evolution, because they work on the genetic variation already present in a population, without having to wait for a novel mutation to arise.
Some species, particularly D. melanogaster, are used extensively in laboratory and field experiments on genetics and evolution because they are easy to raise and have a short life cycle (less than two weeks at room temperature).
More generally, though, Dr. Moore said the results of the survey showed how much public opinion had changed from the days of the Scopes trial, when "most people probably rejected evolution because they just couldn't believe that human beings descended from apes".
These religious adherents often view science itself as an assault on their faith and doggedly refuse to accept evolution because they fear it so utterly denies God that it will lead them, and their children, straight into a world of moral depravity and meaninglessness.
Four Pakistani science teachers completely rejected evolution because they believed in the special and sudden creation of all living beings.
Three others provisionally accepted evolution because they viewed it as the only "scientifically testable theory" currently available.
They may nevertheless teach evolution because they recognize that scientists accept it, even if they do not personally accept it.
Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) are strong drivers of evolution because they experience spatially variable and recurrent disturbances and succession processes.
